Union seeks government intervention in Versalis transformation plan

Milan, Italy – Italian trade union Fialc Cisal has called for a government intervention in the proposed transformation plan for Eni’s chemicals arm Versalis.

In a statement 29 Oct, the union expressed “deep concern” over the €2-billion plan, which will see Versalis significantly reducing its exposure to basic chemicals and focusing on bio-refining and energy storage. (ERJ report)

The scheme, said Fialc Cisal, will lead to the “definitive closure” of cracking plants in Brindisi and Priolo, to the benefit of a biorefinery and a joint-venture gigafactory for stationary batteries.

The union said it had “strong doubts” that the proposed plan was “the best industrial strategy” towards fulfilling the green transition and did not guarantee the long-term protection of employees.

“Cautiously intrigued” by Eni's proposals, Fialc Cisal said it would continue to advocate for the essential value of basic chemistry and the entire supply chain connected to it.

“The abandonment of petrochemicals by Italy would be equivalent to the dismantling of an industrial system much larger than one might think,” said the union, warning of serious “economic and social consequences.”

Such a manoeuvre, it added, would lead to “an indirect advantage for the ever-growing economies of unscrupulous Asian and American competition.”

The competitors, the union went on to say, are rapidly occupying traditional market segments that Europe “risks conceding too hastily.”

A basic cracker, Fialc Cisal said, is the “beating heart of numerous industrial settlements” supporting sectors such as biomedical, healthcare and automotive.

The union, therefore, called for a government intervention, adding that it was “essential to adopt much more appropriate reconversion timeframes,” to meet the expectations of thousands of workers involved.