Sangraf Narni, SI: «Very high debts. Take action against the disengagement of property”

of the Italian Left Terni
Provincial secretariat

We are following with great concern what is happening in the Sangraf factory in Narni Scalo and, based on the information that has emerged and the reports received, we hope that all the necessary tools to protect safety, the environment and work will be urgently activated. The company which resides in the historic production site of graphite electrodes for steel melting and which, in recent years, has employed hundreds of workers, both directly and indirectly, has accumulated very high debts towards local related companies and beyond. All processing phases and activities are currently stopped, with them also the functions of safeguarding the systems and monitoring the site.

The management and some of the most prominent professionals have disappeared from the company organization chart, without there having been any permanent replacements, as required by the complexity of the production cycle. Episodes of incursions by thieves are occurring in the plant with the risk that the production systems will be tampered with and damaged. The workers received salaries and thirteenth wages late while the payment of social security contributions and supplementary pension and welfare funds is in arrears.

«We believe it is necessary – states the provincial secretary of Sinistra Italiana Terni, Emiliano Listanti – to immediately rally around the factory, the workers, to defend a production asset that is fundamental in the country with respect to the production of electric furnace steel, the latter method being more compatible with the reduced environmental impact».

The conduct described highlights a progressive disengagement of the ownership, which began several months ago, which has so far been denied by the same in all institutional and trade union discussions, where industrial plans that were never implemented were presented. A truthful attitude from the owners regarding any obstacles to the full productivity of the site is needed, so that these obstacles can be removed. The future of over 60 employees and the prospects of a historic industrial company with projection on world markets are at stake. Too often it happens that foreign companies operate with the sole intention of exploiting the workers and professionalism of our factories to make maximum profit and then run away. It is necessary to monitor carefully, so that in this case, the above does not happen.