How to Frame the Ecological Transition? Evidence from a Case in the Italian Automotive Sector
This research focuses on the social effects of the transition, evaluating factors that may hinder or facilitate the process. Specifically, it examines the conflicts within the automotive sector to understand how trade unions have positioned themselves, the reasons behind their choices, and how they have strategically decided to act to protect workers' interests.
This study will try to answer these questions by focusing on the dispute around the Marelli plant in Crevalcore, Emilia Romagna, a supplier of traditional engine components mainly to Stellantis. The plant recently drew attention when the owner, the investment fund KKR, announced its closure as part of a shift toward electric engine production. This sparked a dispute involving unions and the company over the role of the transition in triggering the crisis, with environmental movements supporting the workers. In this regard, the unions developed differing perspectives on the ecological transition, illustrating how unions see their role in the transition process.
The research posits that: 1) conflicts may generate where corporate restructuring is justified through the transition narrative; 2) union attitudes toward the transition are complex, influenced by political and organizational factors (Flanagan and Goods, 2022; Kalt, 2022; Stevis and Felli, 2015; Thomas and Doerflinger, 2020), but remain focused on safeguarding employment.
To this end, we propose a contextualization of the transition in the Italian automotive sector (Calabrese et al., 2024; Zirpoli, 2023) along with an understanding of trade union positions on the matter, through structured interviews with officials from the unions involved.