Listen to the audio version of the article
The relaunch plan for the primary aluminum factory is still going slowly and workers employed at Sider Alloys in Portovesme are facing redundancy payments. From Monday, some of the employees of the metallurgical company (and its subsidiary), who work in the metallurgical complex taken over by Alcoa eight years ago, will receive ordinary social safety net benefits for 13 weeks.
An announced danger
A fact that does not come as a bolt from the blue given that the trade union organizations have been asking for Government intervention for some time. «The situation is now unsustainable and we will start with the mobilization from Monday – announces Roberto Forresu, regional secretary of Fiom -, the relaunch project which should have put the plants back into operation is still incomplete and we cannot go any further». The foundry is currently working but, according to the metalworkers’ secretary, the most important part is missing. «It concerns the electrolytic, the reconstruction must be completed and therefore the start-up of the electrolytic cells, where the primary is produced, which has always been the real strength of this plant in terms of production and quality».
Immediately the meeting at Mimit
The unions also made a request for an urgent meeting at Mimit, also in light of the fact that “the State participates in the company through Invitalia with a 20% share”. The requests that the unions will repeat to the Government representatives concern precisely the state of the art of the project which, with a public-private investment of over 140 million euros, had as its objective the relaunch of the smelter capable, until the shutdown in 2012 , to produce 150 thousand tons of primary aluminum for ingots and billets. «We were told that part of the revamping is going slowly because the containers with the necessary pieces to move forward with the interventions have not yet arrived – adds Forresu – at this point it is necessary for the discussion to take place at a higher level».
Other issues to untie
The issue relating to further investments linked to Sace guarantees also needs to be resolved. “We will also ask the Government for clarification regarding these resources – he adds – and at what stage the programs linked to the use of this money are at”. What further worried unions and workers who saw the restart of the metallurgical plants as an opportunity for what had been defined as “the new season of aluminum made in Italy” was precisely the opening of the ordinary CIG.
The mobilization
Hence the decision to relaunch the mobilization starting next week. «It is clear that we will not remain inert in the face of this situation. On Monday we will decide what to do – concludes the secretary of the metalworkers – we certainly cannot continue to wait without a solution being found, and without all the actors involved being called to assume responsibility. We expect answers from the Government on the future of this factory with or without this company and concrete actions.”