Unions say ILVA job losses unacceptable (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, May 30 - Trade unions on Tuesday said that 5-6,000 job losses at troubled steelmaker ILVA were "unacceptable". The unions were speaking after a meeting on revamping the Taranto plant with Industry Minister Carlo Calenda and the plant's extraordinary commissioners. The redundancies have been presented by both consortia bidding for ILVA. The unions said they would meet Calenda again June 1 to express their official position.
    Last week it was reported that the Arcelor Mittal-Marcegaglia consortium hasd beaten competitors and is expected to land troubled Italian steel group ILVA.
    The ranking of the bids will be issued shortly, with Arcelor Mittal-Marcegaglia at the top, sources said.
    Key elements in the successful bid are the price, which is reportedly just under two billion euros, the environmental impact of the takeover plan, and the business plan itself.
    The winning bid has not been adjudicated yet, industry ministry sources stressed.
    "The commissioners presented to the oversight committee the results of the competition and their adjudication proposal," they said.
    Industry Minister Calenda will weigh the proposal over the coming days and will make his decision after meeting trade unions.
    Arcelor Mittal is an Anglo-Indian steel giant while the Marcegaglia steel group is owned by the Italian family of the same name.
    ILVA was put up for sale after the court-ordered seizure of assets at its highly polluting Taranto plant, which is being cleaned up and turned around.