Unlimited use of the layoffs for 1.400 workers; the uncertainty about penal shield to Arcelor Mittal, that threatened to close the plant starting in September; the decision of the Taranto Public Prosecutor's Office of turn off the blast furnace 2. Second Marco Bentivogli, secretary of the Fim Cisl, these are the three dangers that cast doubt on Ilva's future after yesterday's meeting at the Mise with Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio.
“We are very worried about what is happening – said Bentivogli – The news of possible shutdown of Afo2 it adds up to the other problems concerning the cash and the penal shield, complicating not only the management of the agreement, but above all the industrial relaunch and environmentalisation".
In particular, the uncertainty about the penal shield "which, we recall, is only temporary and limited to the works that serve the application of the Hague - continues Bentivogli - must be dissolved as soon as possible, because the risks of plant closure and loss cannot be passed on to workers and their families of work in an area in the south of the country with major employment problems".
Compared to the request for layoffs, “we believe that the company – underlines the Fim Cisl leader again – started with a lower employment level than the previous management, already has the necessary flexibility to deal with the drop in demand for steel, without having to resort to social safety nets. This is why we ask for the withdrawal of the redundancy fund procedure and for everyone's commitment to do their part without unloading their responsibilities on workers and the environment. Also because it is very serious that the company has not given any reassurance about the return of the 13 workers at the end of the 1395 weeks. The agreement on the plan has not yet completed a year, the company is undersized, unilateral actions must be avoided which would jeopardize the stability of the agreement of 6 September 2018".
