Talks between the Italian government and social partners continue over the future of the former Ilva steel plant in Taranto. Yesterday, June 10, a new meeting was held at Palazzo Chigi (the seat of Italy’s Prime Minister’s Office), with the participation of several government representatives, as well as officials from the extraordinary administration of Acciaierie d’Italia and union organizations. At the end of the meeting, Palazzo Chigi released an official statement reaffirming its “full commitment at all levels to relaunch the steel industry and safeguard employment.” The government further clarified that negotiations for the sale of the former Ilva are ongoing through constant dialogue, and that, to ensure business continuity, a decree-law will soon be enacted to provide the necessary financial coverage. The current conditions for accessing the Cassa Integrazione Guadagni (temporary layoff scheme) will also remain in place.
According to Gherardo Zei, national vice president of Federmanager - the federation representing executives, senior managers and high-level professionals - the government has confirmed that the necessary resources will be made available to allow the company to continue operations “until the program agreement is reached, the Integrated Environmental Authorization (AIA) is issued, and the sale to Baku Steel is finalized.” However, Zei noted that no specific figures have yet been disclosed regarding the funding allocation.
On the union front, organizations expressed concern over the lack of any concrete new developments. Uilm general secretary Rocco Palombella stated, “The outcome was disappointing - no real news, only further time the government has given itself to pass the decree. All our concerns and problems remain unchanged. The government promised to provide answers within ten days, but we believe that time has already run out.”
A similar view was expressed by Sasha Colautti of Usb (Unione Sindacale di Base, an independent grassroots trade union), who commented, “The meeting produced no significant progress, and the government now seems fully tied to the negotiations with Baku Steel, which still face numerous critical issues.”
The dispute over the former Ilva therefore remains unresolved, amid great uncertainty for the workforce and for the future of the Taranto steelmaking site.
