Taranto workers protest ex-Ilva closure plan, demand government meeting

Workers at the former Ilva plant in Taranto are continuing their indefinite protest, occupying plant areas and blocking roads. They demand a single government meeting and the withdrawal of a short-cycle plan they believe signals closure. The protest, which includes workers in Genoa, is escalating due to perceived government inaction. Unions reject the government's assertion that there is no closure plan, calling the current strategy a masked path to shutting down the plant by March. Solidarity protests are planned, including an eight-hour strike by Eni contract workers tomorrow. The situation highlights deep divisions between the government and workers over the future of the strategic industrial site.