Marchionne open to headquarters talk

ROME, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne said he would meet with Italy's labor minister to discuss the future location of a Chrysler-Fiat headquarters.

Fiat is in the process of buying Chrysler outright. It currently owns 58.5 percent of the company, which it rescued from bankruptcy in 2009.

This week, Marchionne said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that it was an open question where to locate the company's headquarters, which provoked a quick response from Italian unions.

Italian news agency ANSA reported Friday that Italian Labor Minister Elsa Fornero said she would schedule a discussion with Marchionne ''as soon as possible.'

"As labor minister I am interested to know Fiat's investment plans, especially in regard to how they will affect employment," she said.

In Detroit, attending the North American International Auto Show, Marchionne said he would meet with Fornero, but there was "nothing to negotiate."

The company had "asked nothing" of Italy, but it was "up to Italy to decide whether it wants to return to being a manufacturing nation or not," he said.

"All we ask is that there is peace between labor and management to allow us to operate," he said.

He also said, "'I have been perfectly clear, I don't know what I can add. There is an automobile market (in Europe) where the volume of sales has fallen to 1985 levels. We cannot go back 20 years, the basics have to be re-established."