Italy moves to keep steel, shipbuilder plants open

ROME (Reuters) - The Italian government on Friday moved to keep open two major industrial plants which courts had ordered to be closed because of safety and environmental concerns.

Matteo Renzi's cabinet approved an emergency decree to maintain output at Ilva, Europe's largest steel factory by output capacity, after prosecutors ordered the shutdown of a furnace following a worker's death.

The worker died last month from severe burns after being hit by a jet of molten steel while working at the plant in the southern city of Taranto. Ilva is one of the main employers in an area plagued by joblessness.

The furnace was one of only two in operation out of a total five at the plant, which has been at the centre of environmental concerns for more than two years and is losing tens of million euros every month.

Ilva was put under special administration in 2013 after magistrates seized 8.1 billion euros (6 billion pounds) from its owners amid allegations that toxic emissions were causing abnormally high rates of cancer.

The government took full control of the plant in January to save 16,000 jobs, and aims to sell it within two or three years.

The same decree prevented disruptions at a north-eastern Monfalcone plant of shipbuilder Fincantieri (FCT.MI), where prosecutors had closed down an area used to store industrial waste.

Prosecutors from the city of Gorizia said the area infringed environmental standards and its closure would not hinder output, but Fincantieri said it was a vital part of the production process.

The Monfalcone plant employs more than 1,500 workers, while its suppliers in the area employ another 3,000.

(Reporting by Gavin Jones; Editing by Ruth Pitchford)