Reorganisation of the Cornigliano Ilva steel plant

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October 2005 will see the start of the reorganisation of the Ilva steel plant located in Cornigliano (Genoa) as established by the agreement signed between the Government, the Liguria regione, the trade unions and the Riva Industrial Group.

After many years of disputes, environmental malaise and loss of many jobs the case of the Ilva steel plant located in Cornigliano (Genoa) finds a positive end. The reorganisation of the steel plan will start in October 2005.

The agreement signed at the end of July 2005 by the Italian entrepreneur Claudio Riva, the Minister of Productive activities, Claudio Scajola, the local institutions and by the trade unions representing the workers of the steel and metalworking sector (Fiom-Cgil, Fim-Cisl and Uilm-Uil) signed the end of the hot-work steel production cycle.

The agreement provides for the final closure of the highly polluting blast furnace and the reorganisation of the plant.

The Riva group committed itself into dismantling, once for all, the blast furnace for hot work manufacturing and widening cold-work production for tin and zinc-plated steel and for sheet-steel, destined to the car industry. The reorganisation of the plant will follow a five-year industrial plan and will entail an envisaged investment of EUR 770 million.

As a consequence of the reorganisation activities, 650 workers will be made redundant and will benefit from the wage-guarantee fund (cassa integrazione guadagni, Cig) for 36 months. These workers will be reintegrated in the cold-work production at the end of the clearance period.

Not only does the agreement provide for occupational guarantees but also for redundant workers’ wage protection. The company at first and the Liguria region later will contribute to integrate redundant workers’ income during the three-year period of reorganisation. Moreover, workers will be able to take part in all publicly useful projects sponsored by the local authorities. Income protection and re-employment will be also guaranteed for all the workers of sub-suppliers companies.

According to the plan the company will maintain the current workers force level (about 2,700 employees).

The agreement signed is extremely important also from the urban and environmental point of view. The Riva group will return to the Genoa city about 300,000 squared meters of land, placed in the city centre, where an urban park will rise. Both the city viability and environmental quality will benefit from the effects of the reorganisation plan.

The Riva Group will count on EUR 15 million made available by the Government for urban re-qualification projects.

The trade unions are very satisfied with the agreement signed because they have been able to obtain both occupational guarantees and income protection and to defeat the 'anti-industrial climate which pervaded Genoa, making everybody understand that it is possible to have industrial activities and development perspectives at the same time, in the same place.'

According to Fiom-Cgil the agreement permits to find 'a responsible and dynamic balance between the safeguard of the environmental conditions - necessary in such an urbanised area - and the general interests of the industrial system'. According to Giorgio Migliorini, Cisl provincial secretary 'the agreement proves that the industry will still be an important asset of Genoa’s future'.

The president of the Liguria region Claudio Burlano, considered the agreement a starting point for all future clearance activites and, at the same time, underlined the value and the importance of industrial work - that shall never be denied -which in the Liguria region still exists.

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