by Guisela Chiarella
Workers at the Swiss tech company U-blox staged a protest in Trieste on Saturday after the company announced plans to shut down its local research and development facility, putting 200 jobs at risk.
The layoffs, expected to begin in April, were first communicated via email last month. “We believed U-blox was a better company,” one worker said.
Regional officials are in talks with the company, and a meeting at Italy’s Ministry for Enterprises and Made in Italy is scheduled this week to discuss potential solutions. “We need concrete action,” said union representative Dario Antonaz.
The crisis extends beyond U-blox. Employees from Tirso, another struggling company, also joined the protest, and the former Flextronics plant faces similar uncertainty. In total, more than 700 jobs in Trieste’s industrial sector are at stake.
The regional government is working on possible interventions, while union leaders argue for stronger labor protections to prevent companies from exiting so easily.
Interview: Sgonico mayor, Monica Hrovatin
