Ex Ilva, deckchairs and umbrellas in the communication on the Cigs

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After the tear in the unions on the renewal of the extraordinary redundancy fund for another year for 3,000 employees of Acciaierie d’Italia, former Ilva – with Uilm and Usb who have not signed the agreement with the company and the Ministry of Labor, while Fim Cisl, Fiom CGIL, Ugl and Fismic have accepted it – a controversy also arises over the way in which the company communicated on the company portal to the workers concerned who had been placed in the till.

By accessing the portal with their password, AdI employees found the date of the redundancy fund and the logo of a deckchair with the sun, both placed in a blue circle. In Taranto, the redundancy fund affects 2,500 employees out of just over 8,000 of the workforce. The number is the same as last year even though this year the company has declared that it will produce 4 million tons while last year it announced 6, even though it actually produced 3.4.

Many criticisms were directed at the former Ilva on social media as soon as the company’s “special” communication spread. But the protest was not limited to social media. The secretary general of Uilm, Rocco Palombella (majority union in the former Ilva of Taranto), sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and to the ministers Urso, Calderone, Giorgetti and to the CEO of Invitalia, Mattarella. “As soon as the news spread we found it hard to believe, but unfortunately it proved to be true” writes Palombella.

“We believe – continues the number one of Uil’s metalworkers – that it is offensive and disrespectful towards workers and their families, who for over ten years have been claiming the right to work and a decent salary, in addition to the right to health and safety” . The Uilm – concludes Palombella – therefore asks for a meeting with Minister Adolfo Urso, at Mimit, “as soon as possible”. The latter would be summoned on 27 April.

No reaction from Acciaierie d’Italia on the controversy. Sources close to the company explain everything with the automatism of a software. Furthermore, according to Uilm sources, the company – which should also send a letter – would have told the unions that this type of logo had already been on the portal for some time, but according to the unions this is not the case.