ROME (AFP) - Alitalia pilots and flight attendants dug in their heels Friday as the Italian government sought unanimous backing for a billion-euro plan to rescue the loss-making airline.
After allowing two deadlines to lapse for four diehard unions to come on board, no new time limit was set, a government official telling reporters: "Negotiations continue (and) the hands of the clock have been stopped."
The package proposed by the Italian Air Company (CAI) investor group has won the backing of the bulk of Alitalia's workforce, represented by five of the failing airline's nine unions.
The deal could go ahead without all unions on board, Labour Minister Maurizio Sacconi told the ANSA news agency. Unanimous approval "would be important ... but I think CAI can pursue its course in any case," he said.
Italy's powerful CGIL union dropped its objections to the rescue plan on Thursday, prompting the CAI to revive its billion-euro (1.45 billion dollar) offer for the flag carrier, valid until October 15.
The left-wing union had rejected an accord reached last week with three other unions but reportedly won last-minute concessions on pay for ground crew, leave and temporary work contracts.
Meanwhile, with Alitalia's "Made in Italy" rescue plan within reach, CAI was stepping up contacts with potential foreign partners Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.
Air France-KLM, which dropped a takeover bid for Alitalia in April in the face of union resistance, is considering acquiring a 10 to 20 percent stake in the relaunched Alitalia, industry sources said.
The European giant already holds a two percent stake in Alitalia.
Meanwhile, Lufthansa chief Wolfgang Mayrhuber was in Rome on Friday "at the request of the Italian government," an airline spokeswoman told AFP, adding that he had met with union representatives.
Some union leaders are reportedly attracted to Lufthansa because it operates from more than one hub, like Alitalia, whose Milan hub has seen drastic cutbacks.
Alitalia, 49.9 percent state owned, is losing about three million euros a day and has debt of about 1.2 billion euros.
Under the rescue plan, CAI would take over Alitalia's passenger activities and merge them with Italy's number two airline Air One.
Alitalia's debt would be assumed under the umbrella of the company's remaining activities, which would be liquidated, throwing the burden on the Italian taxpayer.
Some 12,500 workers of the two sections would be rehired by CAI, while 3,250 would be laid off.
The government has promised compensation over seven years for those who lose their jobs.
"At this point there are no other offers and CAI is Alitalia's salvation," Transport Minister Altero Matteoli said Friday. "Failure to seize this occasion would be a very big mistake," he said.
"Since I have great confidence in the industrial plan, if a foreign partner is added I think success will be assured," he added.
CAI's withdrawal was an embarrassment for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who last month promised a "miracle" to save Alitalia and had pinned his election victory in April on pledges of an all-Italian solution.
The airline has been surviving on a loan of 300 million euros made in late April from public funds after the takeover talks with Air France-KLM collapsed.
The European Commission is investigating whether the loan meets EU bailout rules after expressing grave doubts.
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