Whirlpool, the trade unions and the managers are worried: “the market is not working”

Today, on Wednesday, at the offices in Gallarate of the Industrial Union of the province of Varese, the quarterly summit meeting called “of national coordination” between Whirlpool and the trade union representatives of Fim, Fiom and Uilm of the Company’s Italian factories took place. They presented the results of the 2012 financial year of Whirlpool EMEA and described the situation on the 31st March 2013 in every factory, including the investments. The debated topics were the Whirlpool EMEA roadplan for the 2013-2015 triennium and the quarterly enhancement of the surplus management as planned in 2011, compared to which there are not any changes.

The negative market trend in the European area caused a further decrease of the volumes which weaken the Italian factories competitiveness.

Francesca Morichini, who is the Human Resources Industrial Operations & Industrial Relations manager, commented: “In spite of the persistence of a negative circumstance, with the trade union representatives we shared the challenges and the objectives of the Company for the 2013-2015 triennium, in a collaboration atmosphere which easies constructive confrontation and which marks the Whirlpool model of industrial relations”. Despite appreciating Whirlpool efforts, the trade union showed some worries about the situation of the domestic appliances sector (washing machines and electrical appliances) and about the persistence of the current difficult condition.

Whirlpool EMEA and Whirlpool Corporation with about 10,400 employees, a market presence in over 30 European countries and production plants in seven countries, Whirlpool Europe, Middle East & Africa (EMEA), which is the world leader in selling big domestic appliances, is a business totally managed by Whirlpool Corporation. The world leader in producing and trading large domestic appliances had an annual turnover of 18.1 billion dollars in 2012, 68,000 employees and 65 production plants and technological research centres all over the world. The company trades the brands of Whirlpool, Maytag, KitchenAid, Jenn-Air, Amana, Brastemp, Bauknecht and other important ones almost in every country in the world. The Whirlpool European Operating Centre is in Italy, in Comerio (VA). For further information about the company, look www.whirlpoolcorp.com or www.whirlpool.it;

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