Workers in Italy's automotive sector will go on strike on Oct. 18, the main metalworkers unions said Tuesday, in protest of declining output from Stellantis, the biggest carmaker in the country. The unions also called for a national demonstration in Rome on the same day.

The transatlantic automaker registered a sharp drop in output at most of its Italian plants in the first half of 2024.

Operations at Stellantis' Italian factories have been repeatedly halted in recent months, mainly due to poor market demand, especially for EVs, with workers put on furlough programs.

The local FIM-CISL union, which represents many Stellantis workers, asserts that the company may end 2024 having built just over 500,000 vehicles in Italy. This would represent a