The Secretariat of the WFTU has been following the developments concerning the strategic partnership between Alitalia and Etihad, with the state-owned Abu-Dhabi Company aiming to buy the 49% of the Italian Airline.

The WFTU denounces the plan for 2251 redundancies which Alitalia is including as part of the deal without even sharing the information about the details of the redundancies.

It is a fact that the Italian carrier, which employs 14,000 people, has accumulated more than €840 million in net losses since it was last rescued from bankruptcy and privatized in 2009. However, it is only months since it has received a government-engineered bailout of €500 million. Now it is being cut to pieces, sold-out and is condemning 2251 employers as well as future generations to unemployment.

The WFTU stands at the side of the Italian working class and its affiliate USB and raises the demand for “zero dismissals”.

Athens, Greece

THE SECRETARIAT