Minister Calenda meets Alitalia (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, February 21 - 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.