Natuzzi dispute, for the Puglia Region "some glimmers emerge"

Negotiations continue in Puglia to avoid the crisis of Natuzzi, the leading upholstered furniture company in Italy. Protagonists of the dialogue Region, unions and company. At the end of the last interlocution “some glimmers emerge, fragile but useful – we read in a note – to keep the dialogue open and to look carefully at the next meeting called for 11 June at Mimit”. At the center of the talks are layoffs, voluntary exits and relocations. The last meeting between the parties dates back to Last June 4thon that occasion “it has not yet been possible to reach an agreement, due to Natuzzi’s confirmation of the transfer of 15% of the activities currently carried out between Puglia and Basilicata to the group’s factories in Romania”.

Puglia: “First glimmer of emergency union-company table”

“The first glimmer of hope – explains the Region – is relevant to corporate commitment to urgently convene, in any case before the Mimit table on June 11, the company union representatives, for the exclusive discussion of the social safety net calendars, leaving out the divisive issues of reshoring and the reorganization of the factories to be discussed, more specifically, in the upcoming meeting with the minister Ursus“. A passage that is retained “significant” because, “compared to the rigidities that emerged in previous discussions, it still leaves a possibility for in-depth analysis and discussion for an agreement on the CIGS”.

The second of the three glimmers

Another central issue in the Natuzzi issue is represented by the exodus incentive policies. “After months of misunderstandings”, we read in the press release, “a first has been launched experimental exodus plan for which Natuzzi has made available 6 million eurosintended for a maximum allowance of 50 thousand euros in favor of employees who, on an exclusively voluntary basis, choose to join”. The memberships, we read, “will be accompanied by an active employment policy measure already published by the Puglia Region and intended for the workers concerned, who will be able to access specific 400-hour training courses with an attendance allowance of 6 euros per hour”. Sepac Committeeacknowledging the unions’ concerns, “undertook to convene an initial monitoring table within three months to verify the trend of membership, the effectiveness of the measure and the possible need to introduce sustainable corrective measures, also functional to reducing the overall number of workers on staff, in a context marked by evident production overcapacity”.

New perspective for the Ginosa plant

In Ginosa (Taranto) the company had a disused factory which was the subject of an agreement for the sale to an Apulian company in the rubber-plastic sector. “The agreement – writes the Region – also provides for the hiring, in the first phase of reindustrialisation, of 40 workers from the Natuzzi basin”. Interested workers, on an exclusively voluntary basis, will be able to express their availability for relocation through the “skills pool” established at the competent Employment Centre. “During the meeting, the director of Arpal Pugliapresenting a specific outplacement project, also communicated the interest expressed by other companies in the local upholstered furniture and furnishings supply chain in selecting further 40-50 workers Natuzzi”. Arpal Puglia, therefore, will activate a project dedicated to the collection of voluntary applications from workers and matching with interested companies, while Sepac has already called a further meeting dedicated to the presentation of industrial and reindustrialization projects for June 16th.