The government will meet the
owners of Whirlpool on June 21, Premier Giuseppe Conte said
Tuesday.
Conte hailed the hard work of Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio
in the case, saying the ministers would meet the Whirlpool
owners for the government.
Whirlpool on Wednesday confirmed that
it does not intend to close or reconvert its Naples plant and is
thus open to discussing the continuation of its activities
there, according to sources at the labour and industry ministry.
The day's meeting ended after less than an hour of
discussion.
Deputy Premier and Labour and Industry Minister Luigi Di Maio
said that the announcement was the "precondition to restart
dialogue. I take it for granted that from Monday there will be
solutions that begin from the previous bases".
He added, in speaking to workers concerned that they will
lose their jobs, to "stay strong and don't give up. I am with
you. On Monday we will speak to the company to understand what
solutions they will bring to us."
The minister had on Tuesday said that he was scrapping State
incentives granted to Whirlpool after the multinational decided
to reconvert and sell on its factory in Naples.
"Whirlpool has not respected the pacts and it has taken back
its word, saying it wants to close the Naples plant," 5-Star
Movement (M5S) leader Di Maio told RTL radio.
He said he was about to sign "a ministerial directive
revoking all the incentives. They have had around 50 million
euros since 2014.
"If you come to Italy and take State money, you can't then go
off and close the plants with an attitude that breaches the
pacts".
Whirlpool hit back at Di Maio Tuesday saying it had never
reneged on a deal, that the Naples site would not be "closed"
and that it was "committed to finding a solution that guarantees
the industrial continuity and the maximum employment levels of
the site".
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