Susanna Riva The Acciaierie d'Italia group , currently under extraordinary administration, has initiated a new process to extend the extraordinary redundancy fund to nearly double the number of workers previously covered. The procedure, valid until February 28, 2027, provides coverage for 8.622 employees out of a total of 9.626, compared to the 4.450 previously covered.
Expansion details: numbers and locations involved
According to the communication sent to the Ministry of Labor , most of the affected employees will be placed in Taranto , where up to 6.964 workers can access CIGS out of a workforce of 7.875. In Genoa , the figure rises to 870 out of 917, in Novi Ligure to 515 out of 542, while the offices in Milan, Racconigi, Marghera, Paderno , and Legnaro see increases of 117, 70, 45, 23, and 18 workers, respectively.
The ruling of the Court of Appeal of Milan
The Milan Court of Appeals' decree , issued on July 27, ordered the suspension of production in the hot-rolling area of the former Ilva plant in Taranto. Special commissioners Giovanni Fiori, Giancarlo Quaranta, and Davide Tabarelli emphasized the impossibility of adapting the company's layout to comply with the court order, necessitating an immediate review of the operational plan.
Operational consequences and cost savings
To address the disruption, the company has suspended orders for raw materials incompatible with the shutdown and placed its plants in "heating mode" to prevent deterioration. The stated goal is to ensure financial sustainability during the asset divestment process by drastically reducing costs. Only 1.004 employees will remain in service to safeguard resources, comply with environmental obligations, and maintain operational continuity for activities not subject to the measure.
Unions, strikes and demonstrations
Meanwhile, the FIM-CISL, FIOM-CGIL, UILM, and USB unions have called a strike for October 12th at all former Ilva sites, following a meeting at Palazzo Chigi deemed unsatisfactory. In Taranto, the "Onda del futuro" network of associations organized a demonstration calling for the closure of the steelworks, the site's cleanup, and the creation of alternative employment opportunities. The mayors of Taranto (Piero Bitetti) and Genoa (Silvia Salis) also expressed solidarity with the workers, urging the government to provide concrete measures.
Future prospects and possible scenarios
Undersecretary to the Prime Minister's Office, Alfredo Mantovano, has indicated his intention to introduce a decree aimed at providing redundancy payments, not tied to closure, but to maintaining production with a view to producing green steel using electric furnaces. However, the final decision will depend on the outcome of the tender for the management of the assets, postponed to November 9th, and the Supreme Court's ruling scheduled for October 20th. For now, the protection of the approximately 3,000 remaining workers will depend on the progress of negotiations between the government, commissioners, and trade unions.