ROME, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Automaker Stellantis

on Thursday signed a deal with unions to extend for five months

a reduced working hours scheme for workers at its historic

Mirafiori plant in northern Italy.

The agreement, allowing the company to trim labour costs at

a time of soft demand for cars it makes in Italy, mirrors others

signed for other Italian factories this month.

Workers on reduced hours face a temporary cut in their

salary. The latest agreement for Mirafiori covers the period

from September 1 to January 31, Stellantis ( STLA ) said in a statement.

Mirafiori is in Turin, the birthplace of Stellantis' ( STLA ) Italian

brand Fiat. Once one of Europe's largest car factories, it has

long been in decline.

Stellantis ( STLA ) is betting on the hybrid version of the Fiat 500

city car to revive the site, with production expected to start

in November.

Gianni Mannori of the Fiom-CGIL trade union called on the

company to "quickly assign another model" to Mirafiori, in order

to sustain its activity.

Stellantis ( STLA ), which was born in 2021 from the merger of

Fiat-Chrysler and Peugeot-parent PSA, last year saw its Italian

car production slide to the lowest level in almost 70 years.