Fiat workers to strike over ‘unacceptable’ cost of Ronaldo

July 13 – Juventus’ acquisition of Real Madrid and Portugal superstar for €112 million plus a €30 million per year salary, is not being welcomed everywhere in Italy.

A union at the Fiat Chrysler plant in Melfi, in the southern part of the country, is protesting over the large amount paid for Ronaldo when the motor manufacturer has been running temporary lay-off schemes across the country affecting thousands of workers.

The USB union has called on its members to walk out at 22:00 local time on Sunday and remain on strike until 18:00 on the following Tuesday.

While there is no management or accounting link between Fiat Chrysler (FCA) and Juventus, both have significant ownership by the Agnelli family. Their 30% holding in FCA and their 64% stake in Juventus are both held within the family investment vehicle Exor.

FCA are Juventus’ main sponsor, with its Jeep brand on the front of the club shirt.

“It is unacceptable that while the (owners) ask workers of FCA … for huge economic sacrifices for years, the same decide to spend hundreds of millions of euros for the purchase of a player,” the USB union said in an emailed statement to Reuters.

“The owners should invest in car models that guarantee the future of thousands of people rather than enriching only one,” the union said.

The effect of the strike is likely to have little impact on FCA as the USB does not represent many workers at the Melfi plant which is one of seven Fiat Chrysler manufacturing facilities in Italy.

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