Stellantis, the Termoli engine factory shuts down for a year with solidarity

The volume crisis at Stellantis' car plants is compounded by capacity saturation issues at engine plants like Termoli, where trade unions and plant management have reached an agreement on a new solidarity contract covering all 1,800 employees at the hub.

With the previous six-month solidarity contract expiring, having already been extended for another six months, and no new contracts awarded, Termoli is forced to slow down for a long period, a full year, a procedure that the unions say is unprecedented. Compounding the situation is the complete lack of prospects for the future gigafactory project, initially awarded to the Molise hub by ACC (a joint venture between Stellantis, Mercedes, and Total Energy) and subsequently stalled.

The metalworkers' unions explain that the solidarity contract will last one year, from September 1st to August 31st, 2026. "We remind you that the solidarity contract is a defensive tool that, at this time, allows us to face a very difficult phase," emphasizes Francesco Guida, secretary of Uilm Molise, explaining that "the decision comes amidst a challenging environment for the entire auto sector: the international market continues to post negative data, the United States is experiencing severe repercussions with the Trump administration's implementation of tariffs, the sales crisis continues unabated, and the ecological transition, unfortunately unmanaged, is severely impacting our Termoli site.

No one has the courage to clearly state the future of this factory, the metalworkers' unions reiterate. "There is a need for new products, real investments, and certainty for the future," they insist, simultaneously requesting an immediate meeting with the new CEO, Antonio Filosa, "because the Termoli workers have the right to know what path Stellantis intends to take."