Lucrezia Ciotti The protest by workers at the former Ilva steelworks in Taranto is causing a growing fuel crisis in Puglia, with repercussions in Calabria. The closure of access to the Eni refinery is leaving numerous service stations empty, while traffic jams are growing and concerns about production, transportation, and air travel are growing.
Fuel is running low in Puglia, and protests by former Ilva steelworkers are blocking supplies. Disruptions are also occurring in Calabria.
Now in its fourth consecutive day , the protest at the former Ilva steelworks has led to a blockade of access to the Eni refinery , which supplies much of the region. The result is a progressive reduction in gasoline and diesel supplies , prompting numerous motorists to queue at petrol stations for several days now, attempting to fill up before the reserves run out.
During the night, some workers and union delegates continued to patrol state roads 7, towards Massafra, and 106 Jonica, towards Reggio Calabria, finding shelter in tents and lighting makeshift fires to protect themselves from the cold.
The situation remains particularly delicate in Taranto , the only branch of the group left to continue the strike after the conclusion of the protest in Genoa.
Here, an agreement was reached to ensure the continuation of rolling operations through external supplies of 35 tons of coils. The Apulian plant is also expected to receive supplies from other industrial operators, with the arrival of 365 tons of steel slabs, destined for the production of coils. Meanwhile, the only blast furnace still in operation, No. 2, has been preheated after the interruption of steel production.
On the protest front, the FIM, FIOM, UILM, and USB unions met in Bari with the President of the Puglia Region, Antonio Decaro, calling for concrete intervention from the institutions and a new, urgent meeting with the government. " We must protect workers and jobs ," Decaro stated, emphasizing that the crisis at the plant has consequences that extend beyond the city and the region itself. The meeting of the regional employment task force was attended, among others, by Eugenio Di Sciascio, Councilor for Economic Development, Gianfranco Palmisano, President of the Province of Taranto, and Mayor Pietro Bitetti. The unions challenge the measures envisaged by the government decree , deeming them insufficient to guarantee the future of employees and related industries, and are calling for an industrial plan based on the decarbonization of the plants and concrete employment guarantees.
Taranto, Confartigianato raises the alarm: businesses, transportation, and flights at Apulian airports are at risk.
The consequences of the blockade of the former Ilva plant are becoming increasingly severe for the local economy. According to reports collected by Confartigianato Taranto, almost all of the city's gas stations have run out of gasoline and diesel, causing difficulties for artisans, shopkeepers, street vendors, truckers, and taxi drivers.It's not just an inconvenience for motorists: for many businesses, the very possibility of continuing to work is at stake.», warns the association, which expresses solidarity with the workers of the steelworks and related companies, but calls for the protest not to further penalize other productive activities.Being in solidarity with these workers also means caring about protecting jobs in other businesses in the city.", underlines Confartigianato, asking the Prefecture to convene unions, Eni and distribution operators to identify safe ways to allow the passage of tankers.
Also worrying is the possibility that supply difficulties will reach the Bari and Brindisi airportsAt the moment, however, no flights have been canceled and the situation is described as under control. The Bari airport has two companies responsible for refueling aircraft, while in Brindisi only one operates. To inform airlines of the critical situation in advance, Aeroporti di Puglia has aeronautical warnings extended until 10 a.m. tomorrow Notams, which report operating conditions and invite carriers to organize their supplies accordingly.We're not asking for the protest to be suspended, but for us to find a solution together. We're all in the same boat. Taranto is a", is the appeal launched by Confartigianato, which also asks the Government for answers on the industrial future of the plant: "Taranto has already lost too many jobs. We can't afford to stop even those that remain.».
Meanwhile, the appeals filed by Acciaierie d'Italia in extraordinary administration and Ilva in extraordinary administration against the shutdown of the hot-rolling area are expected to be heard by the Supreme Court on October 20th.