Eni Versalis dispute in Ragusa, Calabrese (Pd): "Enough with the silence"

Peppe Calabrese, group leader of the Democratic Party in the Ragusa City Council and head of the regional Democratic secretariat, addresses the crisis of the Ibleo site of ENI Versalis, denouncing a progressive industrial decline and severe repercussions for the territory.

“The situation regarding ENI Versalis is a dispute that risks slipping into oblivion, but continues to produce dramatic effects on the lives of workers and their families,” he states.

“It is true that there are no layoffs among direct employees, but the highest price is being paid by indirect workers, forced to deal with uncertainties, loss of income, and, in many cases, painful life choices.”

Calabrese points out that numerous workers, even close to retirement, have been forced to leave Ragusa to move to the North “in anticipation of a relaunch of the plant that, to date, is not in sight. On the contrary, we are only witnessing departures, plant closures, safety measures, and decommissioning.”

For the Democratic leader, the situation is “unacceptable” and cannot fall on the local community: “This is an unacceptable situation that cannot be offloaded onto the Ragusa community and on a territory that has significantly contributed to ENI's activities for over 70 years. Today, however, there is a feeling of having been completely abandoned by what remains a state-owned giant.”

The focus is also on the Ragusa municipal administration, Palazzo dell’Aquila: “We wonder what has happened to the political action of the mayor, who in the past declared support for the workers. And we also wonder what has been done by the Economic Development Department of the Municipality, given that on this strategic dispute we are experiencing a silence that is no longer acceptable.”

And he warns: “Ragusa and the entire province cannot afford to lose these jobs. The consequences would be devastating for the local economy, which is already under severe strain.”

Hence the call for immediate action: “The Mayor must act immediately to obtain from ENI and Versalis a clear picture of the status of the relaunch and conversion project for the plant. It is necessary to understand whether there is a concrete industrial plan or if we have only heard announcements so far.”

“It is essential to accelerate every useful process so that workers can return to Ragusa, to their families, and contribute with their work to the economic development of the territory.”

The Democratic group leader finally recalls the action already initiated by the Democratic Party: “Through our regional delegation, Honorable Nello Dipasquale has already requested the urgent convening of a table with the trade unions, the Region, and the management of ENI Versalis, to provide full clarity on the dispute and the future prospects of the plant.”

And he concludes with a personal note: “I also speak personally, having spent 34 years of my working life in that company: for this reason, I feel even more strongly the responsibility to demand serious answers. This territory deserves respect, not silence and promises left on paper.”