Former Ilva site, situation eases in Taranto: roadblocks removed immediately, strike ends at 11 pm
The decision was taken this morning at a meeting of workers and trade unions. On the 27th, the Government convened a meeting at Palazzo Chigi, and an agreement was signed in the Puglia Region with local institutions and political representatives.
In Taranto, the strike by workers at the former Ilva and in the related subcontracting sector – which has been ongoing since Monday with roadblocks on the main roads to Bari and Reggio Calabria – is due to end tonight at 11.00 pm. However, the roadblocks, including the one in front of the Eni refinery in Taranto, are being removed immediately. This is to allow tankers to leave, as fuel is running very low at petrol stations and airports across Puglia. The decision was taken by the assembly of workers and trade union representatives held this morning on the main road to Bari, near the steelworks.
At the meeting, some workers voiced their dissent – “we have nothing” – but the trade unions insisted that there should be no divisions in the run-up to the upcoming deadlines and highlighted the results achieved in the meantime. Namely, the meeting at Palazzo Chigi on 27 October at 5.00 pm and yesterday’s agreement at the Regional Council, which commits all local institutions to the trade unions’ demands, starting with the decarbonisation of the factory and special measures for workers: financial incentives for voluntary and early redundancy schemes, and early retirement due to exposure to asbestos and pollutants.
Trade union positions
“We must press ahead with drawing up our proposal for the meeting on 27 October at Palazzo Chigi,” says Luigi Bennardi of Uilm, “and we must go there with strength, solidarity, unity and a strong presence. That presence which, during these days of mobilisation on the streets, we would have liked to see in greater numbers, not least because we are at a significant turning point.” “We must be united, otherwise we will lose,” argues a trade union representative. According to Francesco Brigati of Fiom Cgil, “we secured the meeting at Palazzo Chigi through our determination; it is an achievement but not a solution. We have key milestones: the Court of Cassation on 20 October, then Palazzo Chigi on the 27th, and finally the submission of AdI’s bids by 9 November. We must maintain constant pressure.”
“Yesterday’s result is the fruit of the sacrifice made by all workers, and we must not downplay such an important achievement,” emphasises Biagio Prisciano of Fim Cisl, referring to the agreement reached in the Puglia Regional Government and the Government’s convening of a meeting. “We needed to ensure that all political forces in the region endorsed our platform, and that was by no means an easy task,” explains Prisciano. Up until now, the Government has always told us it couldn’t take certain actions because the Region wouldn’t allow it, or because the City of Taranto and the Province of Taranto were opposed, but that is no longer the case. There are no more excuses for the Government; the entire political establishment at all levels is behind our positions. And we’ll be heading to Rome on 27 October with all the workers. We therefore need to be fully prepared by that date. We need to recharge our batteries. And if the responses on the 27th are not adequate, we’ll have to resume our mobilisation. The meeting at Chigi is taking place because of pressure from Taranto, as Genoa has called off its strike and hasn’t had a meeting with the Government.” “It’s not on,” Prisciano adds, “that we’ve been seeing the same faces at the protest picket lines day after day; it doesn’t work like that. Where are all the others? Because if the Government has called us in, it’s thanks to the mobilisation of those who’ve been out on the streets. We must stand as one.”
Steelworks: new application for furlough support on the way
Meanwhile, Acciaierie d’Italia is informing many employees that they are being placed on zero-hour furlough. The measure has reportedly already affected the Milan office and is now being extended to Taranto as well. For the past week, meanwhile, staff at AdI’s research centre in Taranto have been on compulsory leave. It is highly likely that the notification of the zero-hour furlough scheme is a prelude to a new application for the extraordinary redundancy fund by the company. The new application could be submitted as early as today, perhaps this afternoon, as the company has already prepared it. Currently, the scheme is authorised for 4,500 employees across the group, 3,800 of whom are in Taranto; however, a few days ago, AdI submitted a new redundancy scheme application to the trade unions for the Salerno site, affecting 38 out of 40 employees – almost the entire workforce.
