Agreement between Marelli and Trade Union Organisations regarding the safe return to production activity in Italy

15 April 2020

Today, Marelli and the national Italian secretaries of the Trade Union Organisations FIM-CISL, UILM-UIL, FISMIC, UGLM, AQCFR and FIOM-CGIL signed a framework agreement for the application of the best possible protective measures for all company employees, to an extent that allows the progressive return to productivity in utmost safety in all the Italian plants of the company. This follows the suspension of activity due to the spreading of the Covid-19 in Italy - in accordance with the schedule and the limits to be defined by governmental authorities.

“Our main objective is to enable a return to work for all our employees in the best possible conditions of safety” stated Ermanno Ferrari, President of Marelli Europe. “Thanks to the extensive collaboration with national and local Italian Trade Union organisations, we have been able to work together to define the best possible solutions for the protection of our workers and for a prompt return to operations as soon as the Government gives the go-ahead for activity to be resumed in Italy. The health and well-being of our employees is the company’s number-one priority, as well as being an essential condition for any restart of operations in order to guarantee business continuity in support and at the service of our customers”.

As a consequence of its global industrial presence, with the initial spreading of the virus in China, Marelli immediately began the adoption of measures to best provide support and protection for staff, clients and communities.

In Italy in particular, with the agreement of the Trade Union Organisations, the company immediately stepped in to implement all measures aimed at minimising the risk of infection within the workplace in all Italian sites, also through the timely setting up of “Company Committees” in each plant - composed of both company and trade union representatives - as indicated in the Governmental protocol of 14 March 2020.

The framework agreement signed today with national Italian trade union representatives therefore confirms that, following the close observance of the governmental guidelines that form part of the Protocol regulating measures for the contrasting and containment of the spread of Covid-19 in the workplace, and due to the sharing of experience gained from the various in-plant company committees, the procedures established represent a complete and stronger series of measures capable of ensuring the highest levels of protection possible for all employees, as well as a prompt and safe return to productivity.

As part of the numerous measures adopted, before plants and offices are re-opened, the sanitising operations carried out in March in all areas will be repeated, and daily cleaning cycles will be constantly strengthened.

A tighter access procedure has been set out, which provides for the measuring of temperatures for all incoming staff as well as any external visitors authorised to access the company sites. All employees will be provided with two surgical masks on a daily basis at the beginning of their shift.

As well as the availability of dispensers for sanitising/disinfecting liquid in various points of all Marelli premises, employees will - in accordance with the type of work carried out - be provided with various instruments for the cleaning of their work-stations, such as specific sanitising products, gloves, as well as protective goggles where necessary.

Furthermore, there will be a highlighting of all measures aimed at satisfying the requirements for social distancing in all common areas. The programme of remote working will continue, allowing - where applicable - for authorised personnel to carry out their duties away from the work site, consequently reducing the concentration of personnel in the common areas of the plants and facilitating the respecting of interpersonal safety distance.

Shifts and services regarding company catering have been reorganised, in order to reduce the number of people present in areas in any one moment, allow the distancing of seating and guarantee the safe use of cutlery and condiments.

With regards to production activities, modifications to the organisation of processes will continue to be applied in order to guarantee the respecting of safety distances between operators. Where this is not possible in particular workstations, suitable personal protective equipment will be supplied, as provided for by governmental protocols.

All internal communication channels will continue to be used to provide constant information regarding the measures adopted and the correct behaviour necessary to limit the risk of the virus spreading, in accordance with the guidelines issued by the “Istituto Superiore di Sanità” (Italian National Institute of Health) and the World Health Organisation. Specific attention will be devoted to inform employees on this topic before the restart of operations, and to specific training when they will be back on workplace.

The company will continue to monitor constantly the situation, ready to evaluate and implement new measures or solutions possibly available in the second phase of containment of Covid-19, with the possibility to rely on external top expertise and know-how in the specific field of health and virology.

In addition to its employees, the company is also maintaining constant communications with clients and all stakeholders with regards to these measures, with the possibility of returning to full operational capacity in the plants in respect of governmental rulings and in line with client requests.