ILVA bid winner to be adjudicated June 5 (3)

(ANSA) - Rome, June 1 - The winner of a competition to take over troubled steel group ILVA will be adjudicated on Monday June 5, extraordinary commissioner Piero Gnudi said Thursday.
    Trade unions confirmed that an industry ministry decree will be issued Monday.
    Arcelor Mittal of India and Marcegaglia of Italy are one of two consortia bidding for the ILVA group including a loss-making and polluting plant in Taranto, Puglia.
    The other consortium is also Indian-Italian, led by Sajjan Jindal's JSW Steel and also featuring Arved, CDP, and the Del Vecchio group.
    Workers at the Taranto plant struck for four hours on Thursday morning to protest against thousands of layoffs planned by potential buyers.
    This was despite a statement from the industry ministry saying "no one will be left without protection".
    On Tuesday both consortia still in with a chance of taking over the steelmaker were reported to be looking at 5-6,000 redundancies.
    The strike coincided with a meeting at the industry ministry to discuss the industrial plans presented by groups interested in bidding for ILVA.
    Earlier this month, government commissioners running ILVA extended from May 30 to June 23 the deadline for bids to be presented to buy the troubled steelmaker.
    State-controlled investment bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) has been meeting with various companies interested in joining it in rescuing ILVA.
    Last week the Arcelor Mittal-Marcegaglia consortium was reported to have won the competition, although Industry Minister Carlo Calenda still has to make a final decision.
    A court this year declared ILVA insolvent, with debt totaling nearly three billion euros.
    ILVA currently employs 14,220 workers, including 2,400 who are on redundancy payment.