PAVIA. The future of 270 workers could be decided next week. In fact, the Merck dispute is restarting: a meeting will take place at the Ministry of Economic Development at 1 pm next Monday, which will be attended by trade unions, workers and institutions. "It will be an important meeting - say the social partners - in which we will verify whether the company's position is still that of divesting the Pavia plant". A meeting which, however, could put an end to the story of the plant in via Emilia 21.
«I believe that Monday will be the last meeting – says Gianni Ardemagni, secretary of Femca-Cisl – in which we will verify the definitive positions of the top management of the company, and we will understand if their evaluation is still that of closing the plant. We will insist and reiterate that the last productive reality that the American multinational has in Italy must be kept open, and we will verify whether in recent months our country system has managed to make it clear that it is also necessary to maintain production in Italy, and not just the marketing of its products".
In short, on Monday it will be clear whether the ministry has managed to change the mind of the pharmaceutical multinational, which just yesterday issued a statement asking potential buyers of the Pavia plant to come forward. A press release that many workers did not like, and not even the unions "Msd Italia recently announced the decision to remove the Pavia plant from its corporate network by 31 December 2014", reads the note released by the company, which explicitly speaks "of the intention to find a buyer who can keep the plant in business". "In this regard - continues the press release released by the company - Msd Italia invites you to present expressions of interest aimed at purchasing the Pavia plant".
In short, if there are buyers, let them come forward. At that point the managers of the multinational are also "available to organize visits to the production center" in via Emilia 21. "Personally, I did not like that in that press release no reference is made to the workers, but only to the plant - says the secretary of Femca Cisl -. On Monday we will verify at what point the situation is officially also from this point of view. We know it's not easy: as far as I'm concerned my spirit is realistic but positive».
@GabrieleConta
September 05, 2013
