The evolution of the story linked to the acquisition by FINCANTIERI of STX France is arousing astonishment, concern and indignation.
In the story that led to the awarding of the tender to FINCANTIERI, the ability to present a serious and credible industrial project by a solid and well-governed company with important managerial skills prevailed, the value of which has been demonstrated, also thanks to union action carried out with responsibility and participation, from the ability to overcome the difficult crisis that has hit the sector in recent years.
We were therefore astonished and concerned by the decision, both by the French trade union and by the Macron government, to question the assignment of the majority to Fincantieri, arguing for employment, industrial or governance risks, which we sincerely only understand in the logic of prejudice.
The obstructive attitude he held towards an Italian company, leading to the nationalization of the company, was not assumed in the repeated changes of ownership, albeit foreign and non-European. We wonder if it would have been the same if the company had been German.
Italy has been the terrain of important more or less strategic French acquisitions, but no confederal trade union organization has ever linked the decision on the sale to the membership of the group it was acquiring, nor called the Italian government to nationalise.
However, this is happening today in France where once again the policy of the two ovens prevails. When it comes to discussions in European tables everyone loudly calls the market economy for others, but when it comes to their own, the "foreigner does not pass" prevails. We really wonder if anyone in Europe thinks that Italy is a territory to be robbed of its technologies and skills, where you can shop undisturbed.
The nationalistic policies and thrusts clash with the prospects of a common Europe, relaunched above all by the new "liberal" premier Macron, around which to build the relaunch of our continent even in the face of strategic choices already made as in the case of the Single European Defense . It would be unacceptable as citizens and workers to think that common paths and rules are valid and applicable in one direction.
Nor would it be acceptable for requests from the French side to exchange items for the STX operation involving other Italian assets such as defence, space, radar, the development of unmanned aircraft, ICT and Cybersecurity: on this our country must maintain sovereignty and absolute technological and systems ownership, as is already the case in France and should instead exercise and demand greater respect.
We therefore ask the Italian Government to protect Fincantieri in its right to be able to exercise the majority in French shipyards and not to envisage any counterpart that would impoverish the Italian industrial fabric and its chances of being a protagonist in the world economy.
Since the beginning of the story as FIM Cisl on 23 June we have promoted a necessary clarification with the French trade union organizations: however we believe that this must take place at a European level and find space in the IndutriAll Europe assembly. We cannot work to strengthen the European industrial union and then abandon ourselves to the most vulgar nationalism.
Europe, the symbol with which the "liberal" Macron won the elections in France, passes through the union of peoples, cultures, through the enhancement of intellectual, industrial, employment and market potential, to create a common environment where let every person and every worker of the Union be at the centre: anyone who puts himself before this destroys the very idea of a united Europe.
The FIM Cisl believes in Europe and believes in its founding values of equality, freedom and fraternity which must be defended by anyone who wants to make them just a comfortable screen, to privilege themselves to the detriment of others.
