Italy's ex-Ilva steelworkers to strike as Taranto furnaces go cold
Workers at every former Ilva steel plant in Italy will strike for 24 hours on Monday. On Friday, a court ruling forced the giant Taranto plant to stop making iron. More than 2,000 jobs are at risk, and plants in Genoa and Novi Ligure will shut for a time by November 15.
Italy's biggest steel fight is boiling over.
The three main metalworkers' unions, Fim, Fiom and Uilm, called a 24-hour strike for Monday, October 12, at every site that belonged to the former Ilva steel group. They said the walkout could be extended to later days, Il Sole 24 Ore reported.
The move came after a Thursday meeting with the government at Palazzo Chigi, the prime minister's office. The unions said the only thing on the table was social safety nets, such as wage support, "without any real prospect of a return to work." They said there was no plan to protect jobs while cleaning up pollution.
On Friday, Acciaierie d'Italia, the state-run company that operates the plants, stopped all production at the "hot end" of the Taranto steelworks, where iron is made, to comply with a ruling by the Milan Court of Appeal, Euronews reported. The furnaces will stay warm on standby but make no steel. The halt lasts until Italy's top court, the Court of Cassation, rules on appeals lodged on October 20.
The company also said plants in Genoa and Novi Ligure will close temporarily by November 15. More than 2,000 workers are at risk of losing their jobs.
Local leaders were furious. Genoa Mayor Silvia Salis called the plan "completely unacceptable" and "an untenable prospect" for workers and for Italy's steel industry.
The stakes are high. If Taranto's blast furnaces cool fully before the court rules, they could never be restarted, ending steelmaking there for good.
Taranto has been a national problem for more than a decade. The giant plant in southern Italy has been tied to pollution and health fears, and it has passed through court seizures, failed private owners and repeated state rescues.
Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano said the government is looking at whether it can avoid a complete shutdown "so as not to cause irreparable damage to the plants." It plans an emergency decree with wage support at Tuesday's cabinet meeting. Longer term, it wants greener steel made with electric furnaces.
What we know: A national strike is set for Monday, and Taranto's hot end is idle.
What we don't: How the Court of Cassation will rule.
Where outlets agree Euronews and Il Sole 24 Ore both report that unions called a strike at all former Ilva sites for October 12 after Thursday's meeting at Palazzo Chigi.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.