Ex Ilva, all-out strike by Semat Engineering workers over wages

The mobilization of the workers of the former Ilva related company Semat Engineering continues, protesting against the failure to pay their August salaries and the redundancy fund. Yesterday the indefinite strike was declared by the Fim, Fiom and Uilm secretariats, today a garrison first near the business concierge and then in front of the management of the Taranto plant.

There are 213 workers in total. 62 continue to be employed, the others have been placed on layoffs based on the ministerial agreement for the CIGS for complex crisis areas authorized by the Ministry of Labor with the decree of 10 September last. The former have not yet been paid their August salaries, but even workers on layoffs are still waiting for social safety net payments. In this regard, the procurement secretaries of Fim, Fiom and Uilm sent a letter to the INPS urging "a concrete commitment and an acceleration of the procedures for the settlement of workers' entitlements, or at least to know the certain date of accreditation".

The unions point out that "the workers have been without any income support for over two months. This stalemate is creating serious inconvenience and unsustainable economic suffering for all the families involved".

The start of a collective dismissal procedure had been envisaged for all employees and then frozen pending the outcome of the judicial issues regarding the closure of the hot area, the government's decisions and the evolution of the tender for the sale of the assets.