Olivetti Workers Strike In Italy

Workers for information systems maker Olivetti staged a nationwide strike Friday to protest plans to sell the group’s money-losing personal computer division.

In Rome, about 2,000 workers took part in a march. Some demonstrators arrived in a special train from Ivrea, the Olivetti headquarters outside Turin.

Union leaders said the strike at the personal computer factory in Scarmagno was total. There were no immediate figures on how many of Olivetti’s 28,000 workers stayed off the job.

Olivetti’s new chief executive, Francesco Colaninno, says he is committed to selling the PC unit, but union leaders fear the move could place jobs in jeopardy.

Olivetti, one of Italy’s largest private employers, posted a first-half loss of $293 million.