Acciaierie d’Italia has announced a temporary shutdown of the former Ilva steelworks in Genoa and Novi Ligure. The mayors said production at both sites would stop by Nov. 15.
Mayors Silvia Salis and Rocchino Muliere said the company had informed them that the two plants would be temporarily shut down because of a court ruling concerning the Taranto steelworks. They called the closure unacceptable and said the consequences of delays in selling the former Ilva should not fall on workers, their families or local communities.
The Genoa site employs 929 people, 250 of whom are already receiving wage-support payments while on temporary layoff. Novi Ligure has 552 employees, including 150 already on layoff. Acciaierie d’Italia said it would seek social-support measures for workers affected by the shutdown.
The decision follows a Milan Court of Appeal order, communicated to the company on July 27, requiring production at the hot area of the Taranto plant to be suspended within 90 days. The order upheld a first-instance ruling.
Salis and Muliere said they hoped talks scheduled in Rome for Oct. 8 and 9 with unions, the government and other stakeholders would improve the situation. They described a shutdown as an unsustainable prospect for the regions and Italy’s steel supply chain.