Request to Furlough 3926 Steelworkers After Taranto Fire

Taranto: The commissioners running the troubled former ILVA-Acciaierie d’Italia (AdI) steelworks in Taranto informed trade unions on Tuesday about their request to furlough 3,926 workers. This decision follows the impoundment of one of the plant’s furnaces by prosecutors after a significant fire on May 7.

According to Ansa News Agency, the furlough will affect 3,538 workers at the Taranto plant along with employees at other group facilities in Genoa (178), Novi Ligure (165), and Racconigi (45). The steelworks, which employs over 8,000 people, was placed into special administration by the government last year and declared insolvent after a contentious end to ArcelorMittal’s tenure as the majority stakeholder.

The plant has long been embroiled in legal disputes regarding its environmental impact and effects on local health. In 2019, the European Court of Human Rights determined that the steelworks had a notable adverse impact on the environment and health of nearby residents. Previous owners, the Riva family,
were found guilty of causing elevated cancer rates in Taranto, particularly among children.

The commissioners currently overseeing the steelworks have initiated discussions to sell it to an Azerbaijani consortium led by the Baku Steel Company (BSC).