Argentine Fiat Workers End Plant Occupation and Suspend Protest

09/26/96

Reuters reports that Fiat says workers who occupied an Argentinian Fiat SpA motor and gearbox plant six days ago agreed to suspend their protest and to try to reach a deal with management in 15 days.

Jorge Rendo, Fiat's institutional relations manager in Argentina said, "Production will return to normal as of tomorrow. We gave the workers a day off today as they were visibly exhausted by their protest. Now we have 15 days to negotiate. There is a good atmosphere for a good negotiation between the company and the workers."

The worker's union agreed to suspend the occupation after the provincial government ruled that workers must return to work for a compulsory period of negotiation to end the dispute.

The conflict started last Wednesday when Fiat transferred workers from a related company's car plant and told them they would have to work under the terms workers at the new plant had. The workers demand the pay and conditions they had before they were transferred. Rendo threatened that Fiat would import gearboxes and engines from Brazil and Italy if the Argentinian protest continued.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel