An epochal turning point, that of Saras , which changed hands 62 years after its foundation: the Moratti family sold the company to the Vitol group. A handing over of the baton which was immediately commented on by the candidates for the presidency of the Region: «I am respectful of the choices that private individuals make and of a reality that has decided to sell part of the shares to an important company», comments the centre-right candidate Paolo Truzzu . «Politics will do everything to maintain a presence of this type in the area».

But the entry of the new group should not have major repercussions on the island: «I understand that the family has decided to step aside and make room for larger industrial and economic initiatives», comments the leader of the Sardinian Coalition, Renato Soru . «As far as Sardinia is concerned, not much will change, the ownership of those who have the shares of a company that is Sardinian and will remain Sardinian will change».

For Alessandra Todde , candidate of the centre-left, it will instead be important «to see what development plans it will have for Sardinia and understand how it intends to relaunch production and address the energy transition to improve the management of the refinery in Sardinia. These are important issues that we will focus on after February 25th."

But in the meantime the sale to Vitol worries the unions: «Once again an important Italian company», comments the general secretary of Uiltec, Daniela Piras, «is passed into the hands of a foreign multinational. Unfortunately, this condition is becoming a habit in the industrial context of the country and it is this tendency that creates discomfort and concern ."

And now the acronyms are asking for an initial dialogue with the new owners: «The Vitol group has resources and capabilities to guarantee continuity and development with respect to the international market of the sector in question, but this potential must now be shared with the union which is waiting to hear from the new ownership of the contents of the new industrial perspective. In this sense we hope for a meeting between the parties ."

There is also concern from Filctem: «We need to understand what the future of this production site will be», comments Stefano Fais, Filctem organizational secretary and Saras employee representative. «The fact is, however, that another large national company will no longer be Italian but Dutch. We have seen in Sardinia and Italy that multinationals have not always consolidated the business that preceded them : now we are waiting to hear their plan."

The Femca Cisl regional general secretary Marco Nappi was even "shocked": «We know that entering the context of a multinational changes everything. We will see what will happen and how the new ownership's approach will be in the coming weeks but already today there is a strong concern because we do not know the company that will take over and I think I can say that this feeling is perceived throughout the refinery, but also throughout the territory, in contracting companies and among local institutions".

Confindustria gives guarantees on the future of the company: «We know for sure that whoever will take over, Vitol», they explain, «is not just a trader but an industrial operator, and just as it is currently managing many refineries in the world, we know for sure that the attention he will want to give will certainly be a guarantee and security for the future of the first Sardinian industry ."

(Unioneonline)

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