Ex-Ilva, a week to “drive out” ArcelorMittal. Or it will be a commissioner
A week to try to define a consensual separation with ArcelorMittal and thus avoid the risk of a legal dispute that could cause further damage to Taranto. This is the proposal that the government, with the ministers Giorgetti, Urso, Fitto and Calderone, together with the undersecretary to the Presidency Mantovano, presented last night to the unions to overcome the crisis of the former Ilva and the unavailability of the French-Indian partner, which currently owns 62% of Acciaierie d'Italia, in financing the costs necessary to keep the steel group alive and invest in its relaunch. The news is reported by La Stampa. The ultimatum expires on Wednesday, and is already expected that the following day the unions are summoned again to Palazzo Chigi.
It is obvious that if this attempt at conciliation fails, the government will opt for the path of administration, a choice which, however, is not appreciated by the unions who have been asking for action for days to guarantee the production continuity of the group. Already after last Monday's breakup, the lawyers of Invitalia, current 38% shareholder of Adi and about to rise to 66% through a capital increase rejected by the Mittals, are collaborating with the Arcelor team. The government's indication is to reach a new summit with the unions by next Thursday to definitively define a compromise. During the meeting, Mantovano explained: “There will be no step back. From today to Wednesday is the time needed to finalize the divorce. In any case, Mittal is out”. The reasons for the separation were illustrated by Urso in the Senate during the morning.
“The plant”, he explained, “is in a serious crisis: in 2023 production will be less than 3 million tonnes, as in 2022, well below the minimum target of 4 million expected for 2023, before rising to 5 million this year. Nothing of what was planned was achieved. No commitment made has been maintained in terms of employment and industrial relaunch”. Furthermore, “in recent years”, added Urso, “production has progressively reduced in disregard of the agreements signed, even during the years in which the production of steel was highly profitable, allowing other foreign players to increase their market share.”
Faced with unacceptable requests, such as the desire to maintain the management of the group despite passing into the minority and the lack of willingness to invest new resources in Adi, the government has decided to stop collaborating with the Mittals. According to Urso, it is time to “change course by changing the crew and outlining a national steel plan built on 4 complementary poles: Taranto, Piombino, Termini and the Northern steel industry, through a progressive renewal, modernization and specialization of existing plants”.
Fim Cisl secretary Benaglia defined the summit with the government as “important” because “he explained to us that last Monday's meeting with the Mittals definitively clarified that it is not possible to continue managing Acciaierie d'Italia together with the Indian multinational The conditions no longer exist.” Michele De Palma, leader of Fiom, added: “Finally we are here. The government has decided to take over the management of the company, a choice we have been fighting for in recent months”. Rocco Palombella of Uilm summarized: “We have obtained a result that was not obvious, namely that ArcelorMittal will no longer be there and there is no going back”. To the unions' explicit request for a possible “plan B” in case the mediation attempt failed, the government delegation did not respond, but assured that both business and production continuity and the resources necessary for the relaunch plans are in any case guaranteed even without the contribution of the Mittals. For the unions, the commitment is also important, also confirmed by a note from Palazzo Chigi, to set up a table at the Ministry of Labor to explore all aspects related to employment and safety at work once the discussion with Arcelor has been concluded.
For Urso, these “are decisive hours to guarantee, in the immediate future – in the absence of commitment from the private partner – the continuity of production and the safeguarding of employment, in the period necessary to find other industrial investors”. Now it is a question of turning the page and trying to remedy the many wrong choices of previous governments, “whose decisions contributed to prejudicing the situation” of the former Ilva. For the president of Confindustria Carlo Bonomi, “For years Ilva has just been taking its time”. As for possible nationalization, “it's not good if it's an electoral choice. A project is needed.”
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