The employment dispute at Mibex in Somma Vesuviana has reached the Prefecture of Naples, where prefect Michele di Bari convened a meeting with the company, institutions and unions to address the future of the plant and its workforce.

The meeting brought together Mibex management, the Campania regional Labour Department, Fiom Cgil, Uilm Uil, Ugl Metalmeccanici and the company RSU, the workers' representative body. The talks follow the interruption of Mibex's commercial relationship with Schaeffler Germany, a development that has sharply reduced the company's turnover.

According to the account reported by Metropolis Web, Mibex attributed the fall in turnover to Schaeffler's decision to transfer all production to non-EU countries. The loss of that relationship is at the center of the current dispute.

59 workers at risk

RaiNews reports that 59 workers are at risk. Local coverage describes the impact in terms of 59 families that could be affected if no solution is found.

Mibex manufactures precision bearings used in train construction, a specialized production that makes the Somma Vesuviana site part of the railway supply chain.

Union representatives have warned that the plant could stop operations from November. That timeline has heightened concern among workers and local institutions, although it is not yet clear whether operations will actually stop at that point.

No collective dismissals for now

At the Prefecture meeting, Mibex stated that collective-dismissal procedures were not currently planned. The company instead said it planned to discuss possible wage-support measures with the unions.

RaiNews identifies the measure under discussion as recourse to the Cassa Integrazione Guadagni, Italy's wage-support scheme. The duration, eligibility and implementation of any such measure have not been specified.

The final outcome of the Prefecture discussions remains unresolved, and no confirmed alternative customers or replacement contracts have been identified in the available reports.

Mayor calls for regional and national action

The dispute has also mobilized the local administration. Mayor Silvia Svanera met workers and unions on 18 September 2026, expressing support for employees and their families.

Svanera said the case would be brought to regional and national institutional forums and called for a concrete plan from the ownership, including possible redeployment pathways for affected workers.

Why it matters

The case combines three elements that make it closely watched locally: a highly specialized industrial activity linked to train manufacturing, a sudden loss of turnover after the end of a main commercial contract, and a workforce of 59 people concentrated in a single plant in Somma Vesuviana.

The Prefecture's involvement signals that the dispute is now being handled as an institutional labor crisis, with coordination sought among the company, the Campania Region and national-level union organizations.

What happens next

Three points will determine the next phase:

First, whether Mibex and the unions agree on wage-support coverage and on what terms. That discussion is announced but not yet defined.

Second, whether the November stoppage warned of by union representatives is confirmed, avoided or postponed.

Third, whether the ownership presents an industrial plan, including possible redeployment pathways requested by the mayor, or finds new commercial outlets to replace the Schaeffler Germany relationship.

For now, collective dismissals are off the table, talks under the Prefecture of Naples continue, and workers await concrete measures.