The meeting at the Ministry of Economic Development, chaired by Minister Luigi Di Maio, on the Bekaert dispute, the Belgian multinational that decided to close the factory in Figline and Incisa Valdarno (Florence) to relocate to Romania, thus putting 318 jobs at risk. The meeting was attended by representatives of the company, the president of Tuscany, Enrico Rossi, and representatives of the trade unions of Fim, Fiom, national and territorial Uilm, the RSU.
At the table, the company confirmed its intention to close, announced on 22 June. According to the same, in crisis since 2016 and without the possibility of a reverse on the part of the same who claimed to have sought all possible solutions, but which today is no longer sustainable for the group's accounts due to negative pressures on the price.
“In our opinion – comments Marco Bentivogli, secretary of the Fim Cisl – the company's attitude remains unacceptable due to the methods and above all due to the lack of clarity with respect to what it said today at the ministerial table. The company closes without any hypothesis of plant efficiency”.
A few weeks ago Bekaert "signed the supplementary agreement with the trade union organizations without giving the slightest sign of the imminent decision to close the Tuscan site - continues Bentivogli - while 6 months ago, she had illustrated the slides with a development program for the site. All of this is unacceptable, you don't mess with the lives of 318 workers and their families and with a plant that has a consolidated history in the area without any warning or motivation but rather announcing investments in the rest of the world at the same time".
According to the trade unionist, it is necessary that “the company withdraws the layoffs and sits down at the table with the will to find a working solution for all the workers on the Tuscan site. Minister Di Maio has ensured his utmost commitment alongside the workers by requesting the union to suspend the dismissal procedure which will be operational in 61 days, leaving the workers at home ".
Finally, for Bentivogli “it is a shame that a company bought a company 3 years ago and gets rid of it without any constraints of social responsibility and that it only presented development plans on 29 March. At the conclusion of the meeting, when Minister Di Maio asked for additional time available, the top management of the Bekaert company denied any availability. At the moment the workers are at work, denying any withdrawal of the procedure and giving the willingness to accompany (in 2 months) on condition that it does not concern competitors is a hoax to which we hope the Government will react with the utmost force ".
