Alitalia unions urge Italy's government to abandon EU talks over revamp

Alitalia trade union representatives on Tuesday urged Italy’s government to abandon negotiations with Brussels over the airline’s revamp, saying the EC is favouring foreign carriers over the group. Rome has been in negotiations with the European Union’s executive arm for months over Italy’s plan to restructure the airline through the launch of a new, state-owned company called ITA. Speaking before the Italian parliament, the head of the UILT trade union Claudio Tarlazzi rejected the idea that the new company could accept any of the EU’s proposals for the restructuring. “We must realise that the EU is favouring rival companies, and negotiations (with Brussels) must be stopped and the company created with all the necessary assets,” Tarlazzi told the members of two parliamentary committees holding a joint hearing.<br/>