Following an agreement between Aprilia parent Piaggio Group and trade unions representing laid-off workers at Aprilia’s Noale and Scorzé facilities near Venice, some production has now resumed.
Piaggio has promised an investment of about £19m in new model development over the next two years and job protection for the remaining 660-strong workforce after 125 redundancies. However, about 40 per cent of them will be on short-time working for the foreseeable future.Â
The majority of sackings were at the Scorzé plant which mainly manufactures Aprilia’s Scarabeo big-wheeled scooter range — a particular victim of Italy’s imploding domestic scooter market.
Some 65 jobs in the Aprilia race department, along with the brand’s racing budget, were also ring-fenced as part of this deal.