Pfizer Catania labor dispute: FIALC CISAL refuses redundancy agreement

Negotiations regarding the mitigation of job losses at the Pfizer-owned Wyeth Lederle plant in Catania have reached a stalemate between different labor organizations. While several unions, including Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl, Uiltec-Uil, and Ugl Chimici, signed a negotiated proposal to address the impact on workers, the FIALC CISAL union refused to sign.

The proposed plan includes measures such as early retirement, internal and external relocation, and exit incentives to manage the 330 workers declared redundant. FIALC CISAL secretary Giuseppe La Mendola stated that the refusal to sign is a motivated choice, arguing that the current procedure serves the company's interests rather than the workers' and that signing would imply endorsing an incorrect process.

The dispute comes amid concerns that the Catania site could be transferred to a non-pharmaceutical entity. The Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT) are involved in the process, with upcoming meetings intended to determine if the company can be persuaded to maintain current employment levels.