A plan to save Italy's beleaguered national carrier Alitalia will entail ''sacrifices'', but it is too early to speculate on the number of layoffs that it will require, company Chairman Aristide Police said on Thursday.
Police was reacting to rumours in the Italian press that from 4,000 to 10,000 of Alitalia's 20,000 workers could lose their jobs under a plan being drawn up by company sale advisor, Intesa Sanpaolo bank.
''Layoff numbers that are being tossed up, even before a plan is unveiled, are 'lottery numbers','' said Police, adding that the ''press reports are mere fantasy''.
Industry Minister Claudio Scajola joined Police's attempt to deflate the ruckus sparked by the layoff rumours, quipping that ''this heat wave is prompting everyone to toss up figures''.
Intesa Sanpaolo CEO, Corrado Passera, also downplayed the reports, saying that ''all the numbers that have come up on the job cuts are premature''.
Speaking in Brussels after a meeting with European Transport Commissioner Antonio Tajani, Passera dismissed talk that the bank was running into difficulties in drawing up the plan.
''It's not our habit to throw in the towel. We've been given a 60-day mandate to come up with a plan and the terms haven't changed. Our plan will be presented to the right parties at the most suitable time''.
Passera said that the entire air transport sector was going through a rough patch, stressing that ''the price of fuel will definitely feature as one of the key parts in the plan for Alitalia''.
The plan, which must be presented latest by the start of August, will be in line with European Union regulations, Passera said.
This was an indirect reference to the government's recent 300 million euro loan to keep the troubled airline in the air through 2008.
The EU is examining the loan to see if it complies with its rules on state aid.
Economy Minister Giulio Tremonti told parliament last week that Intesa Sanpaolo was putting together a ''solid'' package which would be unveiled ''very soon''.
Tremonti said the government was interested in ''a solid solution'' and looking for a project which would allow the state to withdraw its entire 49.9% stake in the company.
''We want Italy to have an efficient and productive national carrier. We need it for the good of the country's growth, to help industrial exports and for our tourism sector,'' he said.
Tremonti added that Air France had been in touch with the new government but was not taking legal action against Alitalia over the failure of their merger talks in April.
Air France-KLM withdrew its offer, which had been accepted by the Italian carrier and the Treasury but ran into the opposition of unions and the incoming center-right government.
The unions objected to a layoff plan involving 2,1000 workers and the centre right favoured an all-Italian rescue plan for the company.
OPPOSITION LEADER SAYS THOUSANDS RISK LOSING JOBS.
Opposition leader Walter Veltroni joined Alitalia unions in expressing dismay over the layoff reports, saying it would have been better for Alitalia to accept a deal with Air France-KLM.
''What's certain is that thousands of workers risk losing their jobs''.
Italy's largest private airline Air One said last week it was still interested in joining a takeover bid for the ailing carrier.
Another Italian airline, Meridiana, said it too was interested in the government's plans for privatising Alitalia.
