Italy deputy PM says talks on Ilva with Arcelor suspended until new jobs offer

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government does not plan to continue talking with ArcelorMittal on its planned takeover of Ilva until the Luxembourg-based steel giant makes a new proposal on its jobs plans for the Italian steelmaker.

“We will not call a meeting if there are not signals (..) for a better offer on the jobs front,” Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio told reporters at the end of a meeting with ArcelorMittal and Ilva’s unions.

However, he added that he still hoped for a new meeting later this week. ArcelorMittal won a tender to buy Ilva in 2017 and had been due to takeover the firm in July, but the purchase was delayed at the request of the newly installed government.