'Crunch time' has arrived for
negotiations to finalise a 560-million-euro deal for Abu
Dhabi-based airline Etihad to buy a 49% stake in struggling
Italian carrier Alitalia, Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi said
Tuesday.
"We have now reached the decisive hours: Etihad has raised
very clear issues to which the board of directors of Alitalia
has made a clear response," said Lupi.
"Now it is necessary to translate those answers into very
concrete facts," he continued, adding that the situation would
become clear "in a matter of hours".
Etihad is pushing for a deal by the end of the month but
unions representing Alitalia employees remain divided over some
of the conditions including labour cost reductions and job cuts.
"There won't be more days, also because the time-frame was
clear to everyone, unions, stakeholders and banks," Lupi said.
"The alternative is very clear and everyone should know
that," continued the minister.
"There are no other options. To go backwards and forwards
is not allowed, everyone must shoulder their part of
responsibility," Lupi concluded.
The government considers the deal with Etihad to be the
last chance to save Alitalia, with Lupi recently warning that
the alternative was "the abyss".
However on Monday at least one union called for
renegotiation of labour conditions demanded by the Abu Dhabi
carrier.
Alitalia said that all of its unions must support its
demands.
"The cohesion and sharing of decisions by all the unions is
essential to the successful completion of arrangements with
Etihad," Alitalia said.
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