A new phase of uncertainty is unfolding at the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto, amid corporate restructuring and further legal developments. Acciaierie d'Italia (ADI), currently under extraordinary administration, has initiated a collective redundancy procedure affecting 40 executives, while a new investigation by the Taranto Public Prosecutor's Office is targeting several former company executives. On the production front, the hot-end facilities remain in preheating mode pending a ruling by Italy's Court of Cassation.
Corporate restructuring and upcoming deadlines
In a statement issued on October 23, ADI announced the launch of a collective redundancy procedure involving 40 of its 51 permanent executives, as part of a restructuring process linked to the reduction of production activities. The procedure does not entail immediate dismissals but initiates a consultation process with trade union representatives.
Meanwhile, following the October 25 deadline for the shutdown of the hot-end facilities, a government legislative measure allows the plants to remain in preheating mode until December 15, pending the Court of Cassation's decision. As previously reported by SteelOrbis, the court ruling ordering the shutdown of the facilities has raised serious concerns over production continuity at the site. The extension of the preheating period will help preserve the plants' operational readiness, although it does not guarantee the resumption of production.
A new meeting between the government and trade unions is also scheduled for today, October 27, at Palazzo Chigi, the Italian prime minister's office, to discuss the group's industrial and employment prospects. Regarding the sale process, the deadline for potential investors to submit binding offers remains set for November 8.
New legal proceedings involving former management
Separately, the Taranto Public Prosecutor's Office has requested that Lucia Morselli, former CEO of Acciaierie d'Italia, and two other individuals be placed under house arrest as part of an investigation into the management of the steelworks between 2019 and 2024. The allegations concern suspected environmental offences and irregularities in the management of emissions and CO₂ emission allowances. The requests for precautionary measures are to be assessed by the judge for preliminary investigations, with preliminary questioning scheduled for November 3.
The former Ilva's crisis therefore continues to be marked by uncertainty over production, employment and legal matters, as key deadlines approach that could determine the group's future industrial structure.
