Grottaglie (Ta) – This morning, at the headquarters of the Puglia Region, a crucial meeting was held to discuss the critical situation of the Leonardo plant in Grottaglie. The meeting, convened by the president of the regional task force for employment Leo Caroli, saw the participation of the Regional Councilor for industrial crises Triggiani, the Director of the Economic Development Department Berlingerio, the advisor to the President of the Puglia Region, Mino Borracino, the trade unions and institutional representatives of the Municipality of Grottaglie, including the deputy mayor Forty and the majority and minority councilors.
The significant absence of Leonardo was noted and deplored at this crucial meeting. Their lack of participation raises serious concerns for the future of the plant and its workers.
The meeting highlighted the urgent need for immediate and joint intervention to address the crisis gripping the Leonardo factory. The situation not only hits the company’s employees hard, but has serious repercussions on the entire local industry, creating a climate of uncertainty and concern.
The clear need has emerged for direct involvement of the central government to develop an industrial plan of national scope, which goes beyond the local dimension and includes the Leonardo plant in Grottaglie. The single contract with Boeing, although it represents an important commercial relationship, exposes the plant to significant risks related to fluctuations in the global aeronautical market.
Boeing’s reduction in orders, caused mainly by complications in the assembly of the 787, pushed the Grottaglie site to the limit of its storage capacity, imposing a four-month production stoppage. This stop, used by the company to reach a balanced budget in 2025, has a serious impact on the workers of the plant and, even more so, on those of the related industries, who find themselves in a precarious situation without adequate access to social safety nets.
Despite efforts to diversify production with the use of small contingents of personnel, these proved insufficient to ensure adequate saturation of activities. For this reason, immediate and joint intervention by all the competent institutions and the actors involved is urgent and essential.
The municipal administration of Grottaglie forcefully advances the following requests: the establishment of a permanent joint table that brings together companies, institutions and trade unions for a constructive and continuous dialogue; the urgent diversification of production to reduce dependence on Boeing and free the local economy from the grip of single-contractors; the implementation of income support measures for workers, with particular attention to related industries, during the production stop period; the preparation of a short-term “economic plan” by Leonardo, in agreement with the unions, which updates the “Transformation and relaunch plan of the Aerostructures Division” presented in 2022, with a projection until 2026 and the definition of a long-term strategic plan to guarantee the stability and growth of the Grottaglie plant, with a future-oriented vision and concrete and sustainable strategies.
We appeal to all parties involved: it is time to unite and demonstrate a concrete and timely commitment to resolve this crisis. Leonardo’s absence at today’s meeting must not be an obstacle, but a stimulus to intensify efforts and guarantee a stable and prosperous future for the plant and all the workers involved. We ask for responsibility and immediate action: workers deserve concrete answers and a clear commitment to protect jobs and productivity.
