AM InvestCo Italy, parent of the
ArcelorMittal steel group, on Monday notified ILVA's
extraordinary commissioners of its desire "to rescind an accord
to lease with acquisition the assets of the Italian steel group
and some units acquired according to a deal sealed on October
31," according to a statement from the multinational which
prompted the government to announce a huddle of ministers this
afternoon.
The Franco-Spanish-Indian group, the world's biggest steel
producer, said it had "asked the extraordinary commissioners to
take on the responsibility of the assets of ILVA and its
employees within 30 days from the reception of the
communication" of ArcelorMittal's desire to leave ILVA and its
troubled plant at Taranto, the largest in Europe.
Earlier this month the government's save-business decree
removed a so-called "penal shield" protecting ILVA.
The Taranto plant, whose pollution had been linked to high
local cancer rates, was being cleaned up and turned around with
government help.
But the lifting of the shield put that operation at risk.
A.Mittal said in its statement that the elimination of the
"legal protection" since November 3, "necessary to the company
to implement its environmental plan without the risk of penal
responsibility," was the main reason for the pullout.
"In addition," it said "the measures taken by the Taranto
penal court oblige ILVA's extraordinary commissioners to
complete these prescriptions by December 13 2019 or see blast
furnace number 2 turned off".
This, it said, would "make it impossible to implement the
industrial plan, and, in general, to execute the contract".
Arcelor Mittal Italia President and CEO Lucia Morselli said
"it is not possible to manage the plant without these
protections needed to execute the environmental plan,
definitively removed yesterday with the failure to convert into
law the relevant decree."
She said in a letter to workers that "it is not possible to
expose employees and collaborators to potential penal action".
Reacting to ArcelorMittal's statement, the FIM CISL union
said Monday that the government had achieved "a masterpiece of
incompetence and political cowardice.
"Not defusing an environmental bomb, but rather combining it
with a social bomb is due to the mess made with the save-buiness
decree," said FIM CISL secretary Marco Bentivogli.
Far-right opposition League leader Matteo Salvini called on
Premier Giuseppe Conte to "urgently" report to parliament on the
case and said the government should quit over its failure to
protect jobs.
"If the government of taxes, migrant landings and handcuffs
(for big tax evaders) also chases off the owners of ILVA,
putting at risk the jobs of tens of thousands of workers and the
country's industrial future, it will be a disaster, and
resignation would be the only possible response."
The government reacted by announcing a summit on ILVA's
future involving relevant ministers.
Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli, Minister for the South
Giuseppe Provenzano and Environment Minister Sergio Costa will
start talks at the industry ministry at 15:30.
Economy Minister Roberto Gualtieri may also attend, sources
told ANSA.
The ruling centre-left Democratic Party (PD) urged Premier
Conte to "immediately summon Arcelor Mittal", voicing "all our
concern and dismay at the company's announcement it it pulling
out."
It said "there can be no joking with workers and the
environment: we demand seriousness and respect".
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