“We didn’t want to break anything. We consciously and with great responsibility decided to interrupt the discussion and listen to the workers. It was a tough and in some ways announced discussion. They presented us with unacceptable proposals because they start from an assumption: using the workers to raise cash. The number of workers on layoffs is increasing exponentially until reaching 6000 in the space of a few months. And the serious thing is that there is no explanation for all the open tenders. There is nothing. Nor is there an industrial plan. They talked about a ‘short’ plan: because the time left before the closure is very short. So we decided to go to the workers and explain that this plan cannot be discussed or amended. It is an unacceptable plan because it starts from one assumption: to lead to the closure of the former Ilva. (Alexander Yakhnagiev)