According to unions, the company is closing another blast furnace at the Taranto factory
Italian authorities and unions are worried about the future of the Acciaierie d'Italia steelworks in Taranto, Il Fatto Quotidiano reports .
Italian Minister of Enterprise and Production Adolfo Urso emphasized that all necessary measures must be taken to ensure the continuity of production. Emergency management commissioners demanded urgent updates on the status of assets and initiatives being implemented, and also requested an inspection.
The government fears that when emergency management can be imposed, it will have to deal with the company's unviable assets.
The state investment agency Invitalia, which owns 38% of Acciaierie d'Italia, also asked the holding company led by Lucia Morselli to «take all necessary measures to guarantee the continuity of production and the safety of employees and companies». They expressed concern about a possible closure of blast furnaces, the consequences of which would be potentially catastrophic and irreversible, including for related sectors.
At the same time, according to Rocco Palombella, secretary of the Uilm union, Taranto has been in the process of closing several facilities for some time, with blast furnace no. 2 already disconnected and coke oven batteries in preparation for shutdown. It also condemned the “illegal movement” of workers from one installation to another without due knowledge of the work and the risks. The company vehemently rejected this latest accusation, claiming it was operating in accordance with the law. The unions expected all necessary inspections to be carried out immediately.
As Centro GMK previously reported, Italy is preparing to place Acciaierie d'Italia under special administration. If the procedure is initiated, the authorities promise to guarantee current liquidity with a bridge loan of 320 million euros under market conditions.
