International Newsletter Stellantis No. 31 March 2026
It is becoming increasingly clear that Stellantis is launching a massive
attack on jobs, wages, and working conditions. This does not only affect
Europe. In the US, the performance bonus for all employees has been
canceled, as it has in Italy. There were protests against this in Turin and
Termoli. There was short-time work at the Mack assembly complex in
Detroit, USA, as well as in Cassino, Italy, where only four days of work
were carried out in January. This also shows that Stellantis' changed
strategy is by no means creating jobs. In Cassino, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio
was supposed to be launched as an electric car in 2025. This has been
postponed due to the change in strategy, leaving colleagues with hardly
any work. A new transmission has been announced for the Termoli plant in
Italy, but almost 400 jobs are still set to be lost. In the USA, short-time
working is a consequence of Donald Trump's decision to scrap subsidies for
electric cars. So much for “the market wants combustion engines” – these
are reactionary political decisions! In Argentina, there are two Stellantis
plants, both of which were closed from mid-February 2026 to early March
this year, while employees received less than 70% of their wages. There is
a risk of permanent closure.
We are also seeing jobs increasingly being relocated to countries with
poorer wages and working conditions. Fiat's new large SUV is going to
Kragujevac in Serbia. And the Kenitra plant in Morocco already has 6,000
employees and a capacity of 535,000 cars. Some plants are being
expanded, while others are bleeding dry. Zaragoza, Spain, is getting
another Model B 10 from Leapmotor as well as the battery plant, while the
Madrid, Spain, and Rüsselsheim, Germany, plants have no successor
models.
Despite all this, there is also some positive news at Stellantis: the fired
boss Carlos Tavares will receive another €12 million in 2025.
If we are to fight for jobs, we need political rights. In Italy, the reactionary
Meloni government is planning further cuts to democratic rights and
freedoms. For example, the police are to be given the right to arrest
demonstrators on suspicion even before planned demonstrations, without
a court decision. A referendum on March 22 and 23, shortly before our day
of action, is intended to restrict the independence of the judiciary. In India
and Argentina, the governments have decided on reactionary changes to
labor law, against which there are mass struggles.
The current developments surrounding the attack on Iran by the US and
Israel naturally challenge us workers to take a stand against warmongers
and fascists. This is also part of our day of action. The reason for the acute
danger of world war is that the imperialists, in the interests of their leading
corporations, are waging a veritable war of annihilation for raw materials,
sales markets, and spheres of influence. This is being carried out on the
backs of workers and the masses. Our youth are to be used as cannon
fodder. Not with us!
How are we mobilizing for the day of action?
The purpose of the day of action is also to get as many colleagues as
possible to actively participate in its preparation and implementation, thus
taking the step of assuming responsibility themselves. In this way, we are
gathering new strength for the company-wide struggle. At several plants,
colleagues are preparing rallies or actions at the gates during shift
changes (e.g., Eisenach/Germany, Poissy/France, Mirafiori/Italy). In
Eisenach/Germany, for example, there will be a banner with our joint
message: No to plant closures and layoffs – no plant stands alone! For a
30-hour week with full pay across the group! Colleagues are invited to
support this message by signing the banner. There will also be music and
food.
In Argentina, the day of action on March 24 coincides with the 50th
anniversary of the fascist coup that overthrew the constitutional
government of Isabel Perón and ushered in the bloodiest dictatorship in
Argentine history, with 30,000 activists arrested and disappeared. And
today, the people are once again fighting against a fascist president.
In preparation for the day of action, the corporate coordination team
traveled to Italy, where they distributed the call for action at Fiat in
Mirafiori. The newspaper Daily Struggle in the US published an interview
with Frank Hammer, Mancha, and Fritz Hofmann about the International
Automobile Workers Conference and the day of action. The call is also
being distributed throughout Mexico.
What happens after the day of action?
We propose that on May 1, we present a united front at rallies throughout
the cities where Stellantis plants are located, displaying our common
message on banners and posters. Take signs from the day of action to the
May Day rallies! Then comes “Day X” on May 21, when Stellantis CEO
Filosa plans to announce his plans. That will also be an occasion for action.
In order for one action to build on another, we also need your experience
reports.
Workers of the world, unite!
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