MILAN (Reuters) - Only five out of around 1,700 workers expected for Monday's shift at Fiat Chrysler's <FCHA.MI> Melfi plant in Italy participated in a walkout called by the small and independent USB union, a spokesman for the carmaker said in a statement.
USB was protesting over the millions of euros spent by Juventus soccer club <JUVE.MI>, which shares the same controlling shareholder as Fiat Chrysler (FCA), to buy Cristiano Ronaldo while workers at the carmaker were being asked to make sacrifices.
"The protest actions promoted in recent days over soccer were a resounding flop," the spokesman said. He said the participation rate of 0.3 percent showed the strike was promoted by groups that were not representing the workforce.
Unions representing the majority of FCA workers had rejected the strike, which is supposed to take place between late Sunday and early Tuesday, calling it "mere advertising".
(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak)
