European Parliament president Antonio Tajani said Thursday he was working "constructively" with Whirlpool's boss "to find a positive solution" for its Embraco unit's plant in northern Italy, where some 500 jobs are on the line.
"Long conversation with Whirlpool CEO Marc Bitzer. We are working constructively to find a positive solution for the Chieri factory," Tajani tweeted.
"It won't be easy, but as we promised, we will give it our all," the tweet added.
Italy's economic development minister Carlo Calenda said on Monday the government is open to offers for Embraco's plant in Riva di Chieri southeast of Turin and will present these to trade unions.
Embraco, which makes refrigerators and washing machines at its factory in Riva di Chieri, announced in January it would close the plant with the loss of 497 jobs and switch production to Slovakia.
After Embraco refused to reinstate the fired workers at Riva di Chieri, the Italian government last month took up the case with the European Commission to see if Slovakia has breached European Union state aid rules and if Rome can intervene to save the Riva di Chieri factory without breaching those same rules.
