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CHAPTER 51

 

Back to Square One Again...

 

[This FIAT advertisement appeared in all the main daily papers in Italy on 2 October 1980. It caused a scandal among the trade unions, who replied in the next day’s papers, with their own advert.]

 

 

Back to Square One Again.... *

 

Strikes, factories at a standstill, production tied up, shrinking pay packets.

 

FIAT has postponed the redundancies and has asked for layoffs, which means workers keeping their jobs and receiving 90% of their wages.

 

But, once again, the reply is

 

   STRIKES, FACTORIES AT A STANDSTILL,

 

   PRODUCTION TIED UP, AND

 

   SHRINKING- PAY PACKETS.

 

Is this in the interests of workers?

 

* [This space was reserved for advertising a car which is now not being produced because of the strikes]

 

Signed: FIAT

 

 

_______________________________________

 

 

Translated by Ed Emery

 

 

Extracted from: THE BOOK OF FIAT: Insurrection, insubordination, occupation and revolutionary politics at the FIAT motor company – 1907-1982

 

Published: Red Notes / May Day Rooms

 

First published in 2020