The rescue of the Walloon steel industry hogged the best of the weekend news after ArcelorMittal decided to postpone the nearly €32-billion investments it was planning for the cold-processing phase in Liege, thus endangering their longevity and making unions worried. The idea of nationalizing the Liege facilities of the global steel giant is fully back. Unions have been requesting it for months and the idea reached a new level when Walloon Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Jean-Claude Marcourt, a socialist, confirmed a decree aimed at “regaining control over the tool.” The future decree could, according to its outline, force an employer to sell condemned tools or operations. Walloon employers denounce what they view as “communist-like absurdity,” afraid that this approach will drive investors away without truly keeping those who want to close to actually do it. (Ref. 130366)
Lasting uncertainty over the cold-processing lines at ArcelorMittal Liege. To this day, according to different sources, the purchase of all of ArcelorMittal’s tools in Liege is becoming less and less certain. The only possible track is the realization of the intentions of a buyer from Qatar but chances are extremely slim. “If there’s a way we need to look into it but backing or nationalizing the tools would be good” declared Secta-Liege general secretary Egidio Di Panfilo. So it seems...
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