The mobilisation comes after the Milan Court of Appeal ordered the closure of the plant’s hot-end operations within 90 days, increasing uncertainty for thousands of workers across the former Ilva group. The three unions are calling on the Italian government to urgently deliver a credible industrial plan that guarantees employment, environmental remediation and the decarbonisation of steel production.
Throughout the long-running Ilva crisis, FIM, FIOM and UILM have consistently rejected the false choice between jobs and the environment. Workers have repeatedly demanded investment to modernise production while protecting both employment and the health of workers and local communities. Instead, years of political delays and inadequate industrial management have left workers paying the price.
The unions are calling for a comprehensive strategy based on four key principles: preserving the integrity of the former Ilva group, completing the environmental clean-up of the sites, delivering the transition to low-carbon steel production and guaranteeing employment throughout the transformation. They also stress the need for significant public investment, local production of Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) in Taranto, income protection during the transition and strong social guarantees for both direct employees and workers employed by contractors. Workers need income support and compensation measures during this transition.
The challenges facing former Ilva reflect the wider pressures on Europe’s steel industry. The transformation of the sector must be supported by an active industrial policy that combines investment, innovation and social dialogue. Europe’s strategic steel capacity must be safeguarded while ensuring that workers and their communities are fully protected throughout the transition. Workers should not once again pay the price of conflicts between State institutions
IndustriAll Europe fully supports the demands put forward by FIM, FIOM and UILM and calls on the Italian government to engage constructively with the unions to secure a sustainable future for the company and its workforce.
Commenting on the situation, IndustriAll Europe's General Secretary, Judith Kirton-Darling said:
“The situation at former Ilva shows why Europe needs a genuine Just Transition and industrial plan for a sustainable steel industry. Workers have been calling for years for investment that delivers clean steel, quality jobs and safe workplaces. Governments, both in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, must now take their responsibility seriously and work with trade unions to build a sustainable European steel industry that leaves no worker behind. Political leaders shouldn’t abdicate their responsibilities to the courts. We need political bravery and a recognition that investment with strong social conditionalities attached is vital for this strategic industry.”
IndustriAll Europe stands alongside FIM, FIOM and UILM in their fight for an industrial future that delivers good jobs, climate ambition and social justice together.