CGIL union challenges Eni Versalis reconversion plan in Sicily

The CGIL industrial union in Syracuse has expressed strong opposition to the lack of transparency regarding the Eni Versalis industrial reconversion plan in Priolo and Ragusa. While the Sicilian Region and other unions have welcomed the progress of the transition, the CGIL warns that local companies and workers risk being excluded from the process.

The union highlights concerns over the criteria used to award contracts and the identity of the firms involved in building new facilities. They argue that this lack of clarity mirrors previous decommissioning projects where local businesses were bypassed in favor of external companies.

Furthermore, the CGIL rejects claims that local industries lack the necessary technical expertise for the new projects. The union asserts that the current shortage of specialized local labor is a direct result of previous investment declines that forced highly qualified workers to relocate. They are calling for greater investment in local retraining and generational renewal to ensure the regional industrial fabric is not abandoned during the transition to specialty chemicals.