ITALIAN metalworker unions FIM, FIOM and UILM on Wednesday called a strike at Electrolux’s facilities in the country on 15th September, saying there had been no progress in talks with the appliances maker on a restructuring plan that includes job cuts and a plant closure.
Metalworker unions FIM, FIOM and UILM said in a joint statement that Electrolux had not withdrawn its plans for layoffs in the country or a proposal to close the kitchen hood-making facility in Cerreto, central Italy.
The strike call came after unions held two days of talks with the company at the industry ministry.
The joint statement said: ‘We express our firm opposition to a position’ by Electrolux that ‘would require great sacrifices from workers and enormous efforts from the government, but in exchange, paradoxically, would continue to offer redundancies and layoffs.
‘Therefore, not only has Electrolux’s infamous industrial plan not been withdrawn, but rather, it has largely been confirmed.’
Electrolux launched a restructuring plan in May, which could impact up to 1,700 roles at the plant.
The unions also announced a protest outside the Cerreto plant on the day of the strike.
They added that further action, including strikes, could be called if the company does not withdraw its plan for job cuts and divestment in the country.
CEO Yannick Fierling said in July that the restructuring in Italy was progressing ‘according to plan’.
Electrolux is trying to turn round its business and restructure its global operations in the face of weak demand and cut-price competition.
NETHERLANDS
Public Sector workers in the Netherlands held a 24 hour general strike on Wednesday against cuts being carried out by the right-wing Dutch government.
Ahead of the strike which took place on 8th September, 3,000 public service workers protested in the Hague, Netherlands.
The federation of Dutch trade unions (FNV), Christian National Trade Union Federation (CNV) and the Trade Union Federation for Professionals (VCP) mobilised one week before Prinsjesdag, the opening of parliament and presentation of the annual budget in the Netherlands.
The new budget plans cuts to social benefits, including unemployment, disability and care support.
Representatives of European Federation of Public Sector Unions (EPSU) joined public service workers from central government, municipalities, social development companies and research to stand together against the austerity measures.
FNV chairman Hans Spekman criticised the Minister of Finance, saying that the government keeps passing the bill onto ordinary people while leaving out the richest and corporations.
The march was led by a golden carriage carrying union members, mirroring the King’s ceremonial arrival for Prinsjesdag.
The protest is part of multiple FNV actions protesting the planned budget across the Netherlands.
Workers went on strike at Heineken, ABN AMRO bank, the ports and among government cleaners.
Along with the demonstration, the petition ‘Stop the cuts to home care’ with almost 60,000 signatures was handed over to parliament.
Following the protest, there was a nationwide public transport strike.
Further actions are planned in the days leading up to Prinsjesdag, such as a strike within the FNV construction and housing sector.
EPSU stands in solidarity with people across the Netherlands in the fight against the dismantling of the social safety net and supports the fight against austerity across Europe, which puts further pressure on the working conditions of public service sector.
As part of the strike, several thousand workers laid down their work in public transport today, the trade union FNV said.
The trade unions organised a national strike against the Cabinet’s plans to cut certain social security budgets.
The figure is an initial estimate from the Netherlands’ largest trade union.
Other unions, including CNV, are also participating.
There were hardly any trains running due to the 24-hour strike.
The NS stations were empty on Wednesday morning.
Some areas also had no buses, trams or subways, like in The Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam.
Transport company Arriva tried to perform its services as normally as possible, but was also having to cancel a lot of buses.
The public transport strike is one of the trade unions’ actions against the social security cuts.
The unions want the announced cuts to be completely abolished.
There are also strikes at metal and construction companies this week.
Harbour and port workers had already gone on strike.
EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK
The European Central Bank has raised interest rates by a quarter point, lifting its deposit rate to 2.5 per cent, as the energy shock driven by the Iran war pushes eurozone inflation higher and forces a second hike in three months.
The European Central Bank’s governing council lifted the deposit facility rate from 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent on Thursday.
It is the second hike since 11th June, when the ECB moved for the first time in three years.
The ECB sets monetary policy for the eurozone through three key interest rates, with the deposit facility rate serving as its main policy benchmark.
The main refinancing rate was lifted to 2.65 per cent and the marginal lending facility to 2.9 per cent.
In its statement, the central bank noted that ‘the conflict in the Middle East continues to generate inflation pressures, and inflation is set to remain well above target for an extended period’, while ensuring that ‘with today’s decision, the Governing Council remains well positioned to navigate the uncertainty caused by the conflict’.
The ECB staff projections continue to estimate that headline inflation will average 3 per cent this year.
However, it has revised up the expectations for 2027 and 2028 to 2.5 per cent and 2.1 per cent respectively, compared with June.
The decision follows an August inflation reading of 3.3 per cent, up from 2.9 per cent in July and the highest since September 2023.
Energy costs did nearly all the work, with energy inflation jumping to 14.3 per cent from 10.3 per cent, as fighting around the Strait of Hormuz kept crude supply constrained.
The problem persists as Brent crude crossed $100 a barrel again on Wednesday due to renewed exchanges of fire between the US and Iran.
Underneath, the picture is calmer.
Core inflation, which strips out energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, actually fell to 2.4 per cent from 2.5 per cent in August, while services inflation, the component most sensitive to wages, dropped to 3 per cent from 3.3 per cent.
There is still little sign that expensive energy is spreading into the rest of the economy.
