Polish government prepared to compensate laid off Fiat workers

Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz: photo - mpips.gov.pl/

“The government is ready to spend 300 million zloty (733,266 euro) to help the laid-off workers,” said Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on Tuesday, as quoted by the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The matter will be discussed in more detail during today's sitting of the government.

On Friday, Fiat announced that the cuts would be made in the first quarter of 2013, with 1500 employees losing their jobs.

The company explained that the cuts were due to falling car sales.

As announced in October, the Fiat Panda model will cease to be made in Poland by the close of 2012.

This autumn, the Italian company denied that the decision concerning the Polish factory was taken to improve sales of models from the plant in Pomigliano, near Naples.

It follows an agreement by which employees at the Fiat plant at Pomigliano consented to work a three-shift, 280-workday year as opposed to two shifts and 235 workdays, so as to improve productivity at the Italian factory.

Talks are ongoing between the Polish government and Fiat.

“We want to talk with the owner of Fiat Auto Poland again about a deep, significant alteration to its announcement about the lay-off of 1500 workers,” said Janusz Piechocinski, new economy minister and deputy prime minister, on Sunday. (nh)