Premier Giuseppe Conte said
ArcelorMittal's plans to cut 4,700 jobs in the ex-ILVA steel
group was "absolutely not OK" and was very similar to an initial
plan to axe 5,000 jobs in the steelmaking group that includes
the huge and polluting Taranto plant.
He said, therefore, that the government, which is trying to
get the Franco-Indian giant to reverse a decision to pull out of
ex-ILVA, "rejects the plan".
Conte said "we reject it and we will work on the objectives
we have set with Mr Mittal an which Mr Mittal has personally
pledged to me to reach, and we will succeed".
Unions on Wednesday rejected a new plan by ArcelorMittal for
the former ILVA steel group envisaging 4,700 lay-offs by 2023,
including 2,891 immediately.
Unions called a strike on December 10.
ArcelorMittal Italia CEO Lucia Morselli said the company had
had a cash outflow of one billion euros this year.
The Franco-Indian group, the world' biggest steelmaker, has
been trying to get out of the former ILVA group including its
polluting Taranto works, the largest steel plant in Europe.
Industry Minister Stefano Patuanelli said the government
would now advance its own plan to get to an output of eight
million tonnes and safeguard jobs.
He said he was "disappointed" with the "steps backward" taken
by ArcelorMittal.
Patuanelli said the Italian State was "willing" to invest in
the group.
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