Petrol, managers summoned to the ministry before the strike: last attempt – Corriere.it

The Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, has summoned the fuel managers for 3.00 pm on Tuesday 24 January, 4 hours before the start of the strike in the category on roads and highways. It seems to be the intention of the government find an agreement in extremis to prevent the pumps from closing to the public for the next 48 hours. The summons to Faib, Fegica and Figisc-Anisa would have arrived only 10-15 minutes before the meeting, to the point that some delegations will not be present in person but there will be a connection via the web.

The reasons for the strike

Over the course of the three meetings (one at Palazzo Chigi and two at Mimit), the organizations had suspended the strike and then confirmed it again despite an opening from Urso with a relaxation of the provision. But they have always said they are ready to revoke the stoppage in the face of a convincing proposal even at the last minute before closing. Provided that nothing changes, therefore, the refueling stations, including self-service, have called a strike from 7pm on Tuesday 24 January to 7pm on Thursday 26 January on the ordinary network, the same days but from 10pm to 10pm for the motorways. It would be the first strike during the Meloni government. The trade union organizations have decided to close the plants to protest against the measures of the Transparency decree on fuel prices, in particular against the exposure of the billboard with the regional average price weekly and against the sanctions provided for in the event of non-compliance with the advertised prices.

Prime Minister Meloni: There is no turning back

A protest confirmed even after Minister Urso had proposed an easing of the measures. On Monday 23 January, the prime minister spoke in defense of the provision, stating that at this point there is no turning back: We have already summoned them twice – she said -, the government has never imagined measures to point to the category of petrol stations but to recognize the value of the many honest people. Then the average price didn’t say they were sky-high. There has been very little speculation. But we couldn’t go back on the provision that just, post the common sense average price. On the other we went to meet. Nobody wants to hit the category.

Fuel price anomalies

The government should not limit itself to summoning only the petrol stations, but also need a discussion table with consumers, who buy fuel every day, and all the parties involved, in order to finally clarify the issue of price lists at the pump. This was stated by Codacons, commenting on the convocation. That there are anomalies on the front of prices at the pump is evident and by now established – reads the note from the association -, and it is absurd that even today there are those who, instead of protecting consumers, do the game of oil companies and multinationals placing all the blame on the government, which certainly has a role in the formation of price lists through the increase in excise duties, but is not the author of speculation. As demonstrated several times by the total misalignment between oil prices, Platts and price trends at the pump, anomalies and speculations are hidden in the various stages of the petrol chain, where the activities of intermediaries and brokers influence the final price lists paid by motorists, concludes the Codacons.