Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio
told an ANSA Forum on Friday that the issue of the former ILVA
steelworks at Taranto is back in the news because "ArcelorMittal
is going back on the agreement" to take over the facility.
"The old consortium (to take over ILVA) no longer exists. We
must oblige ArcelorMittal to stay in Taranto," the 5-Star
Movement (M5S) leader added.
Di Maio, who was industry minister in Premier Giuseppe
Conte's first government, said the administration was open for
talks, but will not be bullied into accepting big job cuts at
the long troubled plant.
"Dialogue is fine, but without threats," he said.
"ArcelorMittal knew they would face a government that
demanded the pacts be respected.
"Asking to leave Taranto is an unacceptable act that is not
the basis for dialogue.
"Putting 5,000 people out of work seems absurd to me".
Di Maio also took a swipe at the M5S's former coalition
partners in the League, who pulled the plug on Conte's first
government in August and have been highly critical of the new
executive over the Taranto case.
"Every time I tried to be tough (when I was industry
minister), the League sided with ArcelorMittal," he said.
"Now I know why. They invested in ArcelorMittal and they are
battling for the multinational, not the workers.
"We have unmasked their fake nationalism".
The government is desperately trying to stop ArcelorMittal
pulling out of an agreement to take over the troubled former
ILVA steel plant in Taranto, a move which could wreck the
Italian steel industry and make thousands of workers redundant.
Premier Giuseppe Conte travelled to Taranto for talks with
unions, officials and residents on Friday.
Conte told a scrum of workers and citizens at his arrival at
the former ILVA steelworks that "I'll talk to everyone, but
calmly".
Conte was challenged by some citizens who said they want the
plant closed after the spate of cancer cases.
"You must know the situation," said one citizen.
The premier replied: "That's why I'm here."
Another woman said "there are more deaths than births here."
Another man said "this city needs something else, why are you
still insisting on this factory?"
The crowd of environmentalists, workers and residents of the
cancer-hit Tamburi district told Conte repeatedly they wanted
the plant closed.
Asked if they wanted it converted, they insisted it must be
closed.
"Closure, closure, Free Taranto, Free Taranto" the activists
shouted, prompting Conte to say "you have to let me speak".
Conte said "we are working hard for clean energy".
The premier is now set to talk to workers who want their jobs
saved.
Conte asked one man what he felt about ArcelorMittal and the
man replied "Mittal hasn't behaved very well at all".
Conte told the crowd: "I don't have the solution in my
pocket. We'll see over the coming days".
Confindustria industrail employers' group chief Vincenzo
Boccia said on a possible new Italian consortium for the former
ILVA steel group that "the problem is the precedent we are
creating. We are showing the whole world that when an investor
arrives certain rules change and we make them flee. Just
imagine, then, who will come and invest in Italy. The problem is
not replacing one investor with another but creating a
credibility of the country with respect to the rules of the
game".
The case has rocked the government, which met officials from
the Franco-Indian group, the world's biggest steel producer, on
Wednesday.
ArcelorMittal linked its decision to pull out to the lifting
of a so-called "penal shield" protecting the group running the
Taranto plant from criminal prosecution.
Pollution from the Taranto factory, which employs over 10,000
people, has been linked to high cancer rates in the area and it
is being cleaned up and turned around with government help.
ArcelorMittal reiterated in a statement Wednesday that the
penal shield for managers was "essential" for the takeover
operation.
Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli has accused
ArcelorMittal of trying to "fool" the Italian State and said the
penal shield was just an alibi for wanting to pull out for other
reasons.
Even if it stays on, the Franco-Indian steelmaker reportedly
wants to cut 5,000 jobs across the former ILVA group, which
includes other smaller plants in Genoa and Novi Ligure.
Moody's said Friday that it had changed ArcelorMittal's
outlook from negative from stable and could downgrade its credit
rating.
"An inability to execute the proposed withdrawal and
termination of the agreement for the lease and subsequent
purchase of Ilva S.p.A. (announced on 4 November 2019) in a
frictionless and timely manner would add additional downgrade
pressure," the agency said.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
