Former Ilva workers on strike; Eni access point in Taranto blocked. Spontaneous march from Bari to Rome

The 24-hour strike currently underway in Taranto by direct and indirect workers at the former Ilva site is spreading; it has now become an indefinite strike and is also affecting the nearby Eni refinery. Following a meeting that began at 7 am this morning, workers and trade union representatives decided to block the Eni gate, through which vehicles leaving to deliver fuel pass. An adjacent slip road and an Eni service station near the refinery have also been blocked. Traffic on the SS 106 Taranto–Metaponto–Reggio Calabria has been disrupted. Furthermore, spontaneous demonstrations have been announced in Bari and Rome, outside the headquarters of the Puglia Regional Government and the national government. These demonstrations could take place on Wednesday and Friday respectively if no response is received from Palazzo Chigi. Specifically, if no new meeting is called following the one already held on 8 October. The decision to escalate the protest was taken following this morning’s assembly.

The trade unions – the strike has been called by Fim, Fiom, Uilm and Usb – are calling on the Government to amend the decree-law due to be approved by the Council of Ministers tomorrow, as the current version, deemed ‘inadequate’, provides only for redundancy pay for former Ilva employees – both direct and indirect – and does not address the trade unions’ other demands. The unions have, in fact, called for recognition of the physically demanding nature of work in steelworks and of exposure to asbestos and pollutants, thereby allowing for early retirement, as well as financial incentives for those who wish to leave the former Ilva voluntarily and resign. Above all, however, the metalworkers’ unions have called for guarantees regarding the company’s future through decarbonisation and the use of electric furnaces. The strike is also affecting Genoa, where Mayor Silvia Salis is marching alongside the workers. In Taranto, Mayor Piero Bitetti is also present.

“At the end of the meeting, the workers blocked the entrance to the Eni site in Taranto. We are launching an indefinite strike, but the aim is to gather outside the Apulia Regional Government headquarters and the national government headquarters if we do not receive any invitations to meet today,” said Luigi Bennardi, secretary of Uilm Taranto.

“We are here to ask the Government to reconsider the decree-law, as we believe the measures that have been included are insufficient,” says Biagio Prisciano, secretary of Fim Cisl Taranto. “We,” he continues, “want to talk about jobs, not just redundancy pay – jobs that must respect the environment and people’s health. “We must also combine this with the extraordinary measures needed to support workers,” says Prisciano, “but we must also discuss industrial, social, employment and environmental prospects. Taranto and its workers deserve respect. And the Government must step in with strong public action to ensure that we can get through such a difficult period, ensure safety, facilitate the transition the plant needs, and look towards a future that is not defined solely by redundancy payments.”

According to Francesco Brigati, secretary of Fiom Cgil Taranto, “we need to address the issue of extraordinary measures for workers, because the last meeting at Palazzo Chigi did not produce the solutions we had expected. This issue must be tackled alongside the ecological transition and decarbonisation. Financial resources are needed, and the only way to overcome the difficulties we are facing is to ensure public intervention to kick-start both the transition and decarbonisation.”