TARANTO – The Taranto steelworks, one of the most impressive industrial plants in Italy, in terms of size and number of direct and indirect employees, is shrouded in a surreal silence. The chimneys are not smoking, the conveyor train that transports the mineral needed to supply the only blast furnace in operation is stopped, the buses that take the workers to work are practically empty. The areas most affected are those linked to personnel management and the staff area, but the production sectors are also at their lowest levels. In the departments we mostly work on plant maintenance.
From today until the end of the May 1st long weekend, the factory is almost at a standstill, not only due to a lack of raw materials and liquidity. But also as a result of a letter that the company sent in recent days to the department managers asking them to reduce the presence of staff “to the indispensable minimum” in conjunction with the long weekend between April 25th and May 1st, “managing the relative absences through the use of holidays, leaves or other applicable provisions”.
«We hereby inform you that in conjunction with the anniversary of the liberation of Italy on Thursday 25 April and the Workers’ Day on Wednesday 1 May, the staff bodies of the plant will reduce the presence of workers to the indispensable minimum, managing the relevant absences through the use of holidays, permits or other applicable institutions” is explained in the communication sent by Acciaierie d’Italia in extraordinary administration to the workers of the Taranto plant, who will be able to stay at home in the long weekend between the two holidays but upon choice personal and voluntary.
According to union sources, the company’s decision is due to the fact that the plant, due to a lack of raw materials and liquidity, is running at reduced capacity, with only blast furnace 3 in operation. Not a compulsory collective stop because the absences will still occur on a voluntary basis, but it is still an invitation to stay at home which – according to the attendance numbers – was accepted.
The workers’ representatives, meanwhile, await the two summons from the government and the extraordinary commissioners – on 29 April (at Palazzo Chigi) and on 7 May (at the Taranto plant) – to take stock of the situation of the plants, the loan 320 million euro bridge and on the management of the redundancy fund.
Meanwhile, yesterday the general council of Aigi met, the association that represents 80 percent of the former Ilva related companies. In the next few hours the entrepreneurs will send the commissioners a document requesting an update of the contractual conditions and the recognition of the status of creditors for the certification of the credits claimed from Acciaierie d’Italia declared insolvent with the ruling of 20 February. In fact, many of the companies have returned to work, especially for the maintenance and safety of the plants, welcoming the appeal of Minister Urso and the commissioners with a sense of responsibility and despite the uncertainty of the future.
