22/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - Italian trade unionists have expressed their surprise at finding out from Mr Prodi that the Berlusconi government has not presented any plan to save Fiat, which has just announced 8,000 redundancies. Speaking during a hearing on the Fiat crisis (organised by the GUE/NGL group in a fringe meeting at the plenary in Strasbourg), the UILM-UIL representative, Vincenzo Comella, appealed against the closure of the factories in Arese and Termino Imerese in Mezzogiorno. He said that this closure would be economic and social desertification, whereas "since Fiat's arrival they had cemented up and destroyed the zone and it is no longer possible to turn back the clock and go back to farming or agriculture". According to MEP, Fausto Bertinott (Rifondazione Communista), the EP should support the setting up of an innovative social and job protection plan.