Italian Steelworkers Announce Nationwide Strike Over Threat of Mass Plant Shutdowns

Trade unions across Italy have called for a nationwide strike on 12 October after emergency government talks failed to resolve an escalating industrial crisis at former Ilva sites. The industrial action follows Acciaierie d’Italia's decision to halt operations at its major facilities, putting more than 2,000 workers at immediate risk of unemployment. Production at the hot end of the flagship Taranto steelworks was suspended on Friday, leaving the furnaces on heated standby at minimum technical thresholds.

Local authorities and trade union leaders fiercely condemned the prospective closures, which also include a scheduled temporary shutdown of facilities in Genoa and Novi Ligure by 15 November. Liguria Governor Marco Bucci and Piedmont Governor Alberto Cirio characterized the move as catastrophic for the nation's industrial framework, while Fiom-Cgil General Secretary Michele de Palma insisted that workers should not bear the financial and social costs of managerial and legal failures. Mayors Silvia Salis and Rocchino Muliere labeled the potential lockout completely unacceptable for the national economy.

The suspension at Taranto was initiated to comply with a Milan Court of Appeal ruling, pending an upcoming decision by the Court of Cassation on 20 October. Industrial experts and union representatives have warned that fully cooling the Taranto blast furnaces would inflict irreversible structural damage, preventing any operational restart regardless of future legal outcomes. The operational halt marks a critical juncture for Italy's manufacturing supply chain, which relies heavily on domestic primary steel output.

In response, the Italian government announced plans to introduce an emergency decree on Tuesday during the next council of ministers. Cabinet Undersecretary Alfredo Mantovano stated that the proposed measure seeks to deliver wage protections that sustain the operational viability of the enterprise without facilitating permanent closures. Mantovano noted that officials are actively assessing pathways to avert catastrophic plant degradation while charting a long-term transition toward direct reduced iron facilities and electric arc furnaces.