Eight days have passed since four Eurallumina workers decided to climb into silo number 3 of the Portovesme factory, Sulcis industrial area, in Sardinia, to request that the financial assets of the Russian multinational company UC Rusal be unblocked by the Financial Security Committee, an agency of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
Until now they were frozen because they can be indirectly traced back to Oleg Deripaska, one of the Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the EU after the start of the war in Ukraine. A problem that has been going on since 2023 and became urgent after the company itself communicated to the union that the remaining financial availability allows normal factory management only until December 31, 2025, including ongoing operational activities and environmental improvements. Mimit has drawn up a crisis table for December 10, a date considered “far off” by workers and unions.
“The meeting can only be definitive. We are not willing to attend another temporary meeting,” said workers in silos in recent days, continuing to brave frost, wind and rain at an altitude of 40 meters above sea level. Then there is the issue of environmental management, considering that the money guarantees the reclamation of “processing waste storage sites and the operation of industrial water and wastewater treatment plants”.
Those who provided support for the workers’ struggle were Flctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Uiltec. “Meanwhile, the garrison is moving forward with greater determination than before – Emanuele Madeddu of CGIL announced – We must make the politicians understand that this is an unacceptable situation. On the part of the workers there is also responsibility for environmental issues, because reclamation is carried out every day in the common interest. Then we hope that the government will say something more. We do not rule out the possibility of exacerbating the dispute”.
“There are three possible solutions: either the state releases the funds or the sanctions are relaxed or abolished – reports CISL’s Simone Zucca – We are losing industries in Sardinia one by one: this is a real shame for Italy. We are suffering injustice, if we look at what is happening in other countries where the assets of Rusal subsidiaries have not been frozen. We are ready to do anything, even go to Rome, to give dignity to the workers of Sulcis Iglesiente. We will not give up.”
“At the moment we have not had an official response from Mimit regarding the resources to continue Eurallumina’s operational and environmental activities – reports Pierluigi Loi from Uil – We hope the news will come out within 48 hours, but we are also ready for a strong initiative in Rome”. Regional councilor for Industry, Emanuele Cani, believes that the meeting on the 10th will be “decisive”. “For us – he explained – we are also monitoring the hypothesis of a willingness to intervene in the economy in a limited period of time, pending the definition of disbursement procedures in accordance with the agreement with the government and the trade unions”.
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