MILAN, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Italian carmaker Fiat will ask workers at its largest factory in Italy to work reduced hours for another 12 months when a temporary layoff scheme expires at the end of September, two people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
Currently, workers at the Mirafiori plant go to the factory for three days per month to make the Alfa Romeo MiTo.
"At the end of September the layoffs at Mirafiori factory expire, and the matter will need to be dealt with," said a union source. "The layoffs are likely to be renewed for 12 more months."
Another union source confirmed the view that the layoffs will be renewed for another year.
Fiat declined to comment.
Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said in February he wants to build new Alfa Romeo and Maserati models at Mirafiori, where 5,500 workers are currently laid off awaiting a recovery in Europe's car market.
The company had planned to invest about one billion euros in re-vamping the ageing factory.
But Fiat's future investments have been put on hold until it gets a clearer idea of the impact of a court ruling that a portion of Italy's labour rules are unconstitutional, the company said in July. (Reporting by Stefano Rebaudo, writing by Jennifer Clark; editing by David Evans)