Former Ilva, countdown to the deal: Urso: "The 12th is the day of truth." The knots to unravel.

The battle for the former Ilva steelworks is heating up. Only a few days remain until the meeting convened on August 12th at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy to finalize the program agreement for the decarbonization of Taranto. This is the "day of truth" for Minister Adolfo Urso, who, however, must contend with a 'no' from the Municipality of Taranto, with Mayor Piero Bitetti bluntly stating, "I will not sign any agreement," canceling the city council meeting scheduled for Monday, August 11th. This is an "irresponsible" move, some sources within the Ministry murmur, and "it condemns 7,000 workers," the unions thunder. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industrial and Environmental Protection (MIMIT) has updated the tender for the sale of the plants, expiring on September 15th, spelling out the mandatory decarbonization of the Taranto site and the possibility of building an electric furnace in Genoa. and also offering the possibility of acquiring either the entire company complex or individual branches, with the specification, however, that priority will be given to "solutions that best guarantee production continuity and employment protection."

August 12th promises to be a crucial day. Urso will first meet with local authorities (the Puglia Region, the Province of Taranto, the Municipalities of Taranto and Statte, and the Ionian Sea Port Authority – Port of Taranto), then with metalworkers' unions, and finally with Taranto's business and related industry associations. There are many issues to address, ranging from decarbonization methods to employment. Among the many, one of the most pressing concerns the mooring of a regasification vessel in the Ionian city's port, which will be needed to power the DRI plants, which would replace the current blast furnaces and enable the production of green steel with a transition plan lasting approximately eight years.

The decision "is up to Taranto," Urso has often reiterated, but in the meantime he has developed a "Plan B," namely the port of Gioia Tauro, which he visited on August 4th. A technical committee is already working to assess the feasibility of this option, also considering issues related to natural gas supply, and a new meeting is expected by the end of August. The ministry, therefore, appears intent on forging ahead, even in the face of a possible closure by Bitetti, which could raise a series of questions related not only to Ilva, but also to the list of industrial projects—fifteen in total—presented during the operational meeting in Via Veneto on May 19th with companies interested in investing in the area.

The mayor is following the advice of the majority group leaders, who believe it's unnecessary to convene the City Council because the agreement as it stands offers no guarantees to the city. They are therefore asking the mayor not to sign the agreement, proposing a new program agreement with full decarbonization within five years. "The mayor has repeatedly asked us to postpone the meeting to convene the city council to discuss the plan. Yesterday, he informed us that it's not necessary, that the majority group leaders have made the decision. What previously seemed an absolutely necessary condition is no longer so necessary," Urso replied.

Businesses and blue-collar workers are pressing. Confindustria Taranto, Confapi Taranto, and Aigi are calling it "an unparalleled social catastrophe, with 15,000 workers cut off from the production cycle," and metalworkers are also sounding alarm bells. "Whoever wants to close Ilva should say so clearly and take responsibility. Today is the time for courage, determination, and truth," says UILM general secretary Rocco Palombella, while Fiom leader Michele De Palma highlights the "lack of any sense of institutional responsibility," announcing "union protection initiatives for all affected workers."

FIM Secretary General Ferdinando Uliano also pointed the finger at Bitetti: "The mayor and his majority's decision not to support the decarbonization plan condemns the Taranto plant to the loss of over 7,000 jobs, both directly and indirectly. Fim-Cisl and other unions are firmly opposed to this decision." This serious situation has led the unions to call for a meeting with the majority and opposition political forces, scheduled for August 29th at the Rome headquarters of Fiom, Fim, and Uilm.