Electrolux to cut nearly half as many jobs in Italy
The manufacturer will keep all its Italian factories open and promises more than €100 million in investment.
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Electrolux has agreed an amended plan for its factories with the Italian government and trade unions. The number of planned redundancies will be almost halved, and the company says it will keep all its Italian sites open.
The agreement was reached on Wednesday after overnight negotiations, Reuters and Italian public broadcaster Rai News report. Electrolux, a Swedish manufacturer of household appliances, plans to invest more than €100 million in Italy.
According to Reuters, the new plan envisages about 918 voluntary departures, compared with an earlier plan under which around 1,700 jobs would disappear. Trade unions say compulsory redundancies will be avoided. Workers can make use of departure schemes with financial incentives.
The arrangements apply to Italian production and follow months of concern about the future of the factories. An earlier restructuring plan assumed that annual production would fall to about 3.2 million appliances in 2029, from 3.6 million now. That target concerns production; it does not show how much production capacity will be retained.
The Italian government and the unions are presenting the agreement as protecting industrial expertise and employment. For Electrolux, the plan could be a way to reduce costs while keeping the factories open.
The agreement prevents some of the announced job losses, but it remains unclear whether the underlying pressure is easing. According to the union, production will be lower than it is now, while voluntary departure schemes will still reduce the workforce. What the agreement means for prices or availability for Dutch consumers remains unclear; for European suppliers and workers, the case mainly shows how manufacturers are trying to retain production in Europe while adjusting costs and capacity.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Both sides of the figures
▲ Bright spots
- According to Reuters, the agreement prevents compulsory redundancies and keeps all Italian factories open.
- Electrolux says it will invest more than €100 million in Italy.
▼ Concerns
- The workforce will nevertheless shrink by about 918 voluntary departures.
- According to the union, planned production will fall from about 3.6 million to 3.2 million appliances a year by 2029.
Critical note
The agreement protects sites and some jobs, but it is not a growth agreement: the lower production target and the departure of hundreds of workers point to continuing pressure on Italian production.
Who notices what
- Workers
- Workers will receive voluntary departure schemes and, according to the unions, avoid compulsory redundancy, but employment will still decline.
- Businesses
- Suppliers have greater certainty because the factories will remain open, but must take account of lower production.
- Government
- The Italian government is supporting a plan that preserves industrial capacity while accepting restructuring.
Every point comes from the article’s sources and was included in the fact check.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
Reuters and Rai News have confirmed the arrangements and the main figures. The text makes clear that job losses are being reduced but not eliminated, and that production is falling according to the reports.
- confirmed Electrolux is investing more than €100 million in its Italian operations. — Reuters reports this on the basis of the Italian minister and trade unions. source
- confirmed The new plan provides for about 918 voluntary departures. — Italian reports on the agreement mention 918 voluntary departures. source
- confirmed Under the plan, production will be reduced from about 3.6 million to 3.2 million appliances a year by 2029. — Reuters quotes the UILM trade union on this target. source
Editor's note
The agreement, the investment and the reduction in the number of planned departures are based on Reuters and Rai News. Production and staffing figures are attributed to the new plan and are not presented as general European figures.Sources
- Electrolux halves planned Italy redundancies under revised industrial plan — Reuters via MarketScreener
- Electrolux: accordo nella notte — Rai News
More on this in Dutch media
- Het Parool — „electrolux italië”
- de Volkskrant — „electrolux italië”
- NU.nl — „electrolux italië”