Alitalia rescue plan poised for takeoff
ROME (AFP) — Alitalia's long-awaited rescue plan was poised for takeoff on Friday as the government struggled to get diehard pilots and flight attendants on board.
A fifth union of the nine representing the near-bankrupt airline's workforce signed a government-brokered accord on Friday, its leader Massimo Muccioli said, throwing the spotlight on the other four unions representing some 4,000 crew.
Italy's powerful CGIL union dropped its objections to the rescue plan on Thursday, prompting the Italian Air Company (CAI) investor group to revive its billion-euro (1.45 billion dollar) offer for the flag carrier.
The deal could go ahead without all unions on board, Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi told the ANSA news agency. Unanimous approval "would be important ... but I thing CAI can pursue its course in any case," he said.
The left-wing CGIL had rejected an accord reached last week with three other unions representing the bulk of Alitalia's workforce but reportedly won last-minute concessions on pay for ground crew, leave and temporary work contracts.
Meanwhile, with Alitalia's "Made in Italy" rescue plan within reach, foreign investors Air France-KLM and Lufthansa were showing renewed interest.
Lufthansa chief Wolfgang Mayrhuber was in Rome "at the request of the Italian government," an airline spokeswoman told AFP, adding that he had met with union representatives.
Air France-KLM, which dropped a takeover bid for Alitalia in April in the face of union resistance, is considering acquiring a 10 to 20 percent stake in the relaunched Alitalia, industry sources said.
Under the rescue plan, CAI would take over Alitalia's passenger activities and merge them with Italy's number two airline Air One.
Alitalia's 1.2 billion euro (1.7 billion dollar) debt would be assumed under the umbrella of the company's remaining activities, which would be liquidated, throwing the burden on the Italian taxpayer.
Some 12,500 workers of the two sections would be rehired by CAI, while 3,250 would be laid off.
The government has promised compensation over seven years for those who lose their jobs.
"At this point there are no other offers and CAI is Alitalia's salvation," Transport Minister Altero Matteoli said Friday. "Failure to seize this occasion would be a very big mistake," he said on Italian television.
"Since I have great confidence in the industrial plan, if a foreign partner is added I think success will be assured," he added.
CGIL leader Guglielmo Epifani told the daily Il Messagero in an interview published Friday that he was confident the pilots and flight attendants would come on board because "there is a better climate for collaboration."
CAI's withdrawal was an embarrassment for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who last month promised a "miracle" to save Alitalia and had pinned his election victory in April on pledges of an all-Italian solution.
Alitalia, 49.9 percent state owned, is losing about three million euros a day and has debt of about 1.2 billion euros (1.7 billion dollars).
