TURIN - Italian unions have not been invited to any meeting between Fiat SpA and the government to discuss the future of the Melfi plant in southern Italy, a union leader said on Monday.

Welfare Minister Maurizio Sacconi said on Wednesday the government would meet with Fiat management and trade unions on June 9 to discuss the plant.

Meetings have been announced that have never actually been called. At the moment we have received no summons either for tomorrow or the day after tomorrow as the minister said, said Gianni Rinaldini, secretary general of the FIOM labour union.

He spoke after meeting Fiat workers at Turin's Mirafiori plant with Guglielmo Epifani, head of the CGIL labour federation.

A Welfare Ministry spokesman said: At the moment we have no knowledge of any meeting being called.

Melfi workers have been protesting in connection with job losses at suppliers. Fiat workers across Italy have raised concerns about possible job losses linked to a Fiat alliance with U.S. peer Chrysler.

On Sunday Indiana pension funds and consumer groups asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop the sale of bankrupt automaker Chrysler LLC to Fiat while they challenge the deal. [ID:nN07305440] (Reporting by Gianni Montani, writing by Stephen Jewkes, editing by Will Waterman)

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