Industry Minister Carlo Calenda
met senior management of troubled airline Alitalia including CEO
Cramer Ball on Tuesday.
The encounter follows a meeting late on Monday with trade
unions at which the government agreed to mediate with the
company on the issue of worker contracts.
After Tuesday's meeting, Deputy Industry Minister Teresa
Bellanova said "I think (Ball) has realised the force with which
the government is asking Alitalia to return to talks with the
unions and open a negotiation on the national contract".
Assaereo, the chapter of the industrial employers' group
Confindustria that includes Alitalia, later summoned unions to
talks on the renewal of the national labour contract starting at
16:30 tomorrow.
The decision was taken after this morning's meeting between
Calenda and Ball, sources said.
Unions have said they will go ahead with a strike on
Thursday unless Alitalia management agrees to reduce jobs cuts
in a restructuring plan for the loss-making airline, to be
presented at the beginning of March.
According to the Italian media, Alitalia will seek some 2,000
job cuts after losing some 500 million euros last year.
The cost-cutting plan will reportedly seek 160 million euros
a year in savings.
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