The head of a consortium offering to rescue Alitalia warned trade unions on Wednesday he would give them another 24 hours before withdrawing an offer for the Italian flag carrier.
Piaggio chief Roberto Colaninno, chairman of Compagnia Aerea Italiana (CAI), told nine unions representing company staff ''there's not much left to discuss, you can either accept the proposal or not''.
The consortium, he stressed, was ''not buying a jewel, but a company that's in bad shape''.
The all-Italian consortium's offer for the carrier, which filed for bankruptcy procedure last month, ''depends on having the consensus of company staff,'' Colaninno told union representatives at a meeting at Premier Silvio Berlusconi's office.
''Our industrial plan will work only if staff approve it,'' he said.
''We're ready to do business. If not, there won't be any hard feelings,'' he said.
CAI is ready to give staff 7% of post-tax profits the carrier makes in a two-year period, Colaninno told the meeting.
According to government sources, CAI would allot 45% to pilots, 30% to stewards and the rest to ground crews.
Cabinet Undersecretary Gianni Letta, widely held to be one of the most effective mediators in Italian politics, urged the unions to do their bit.
''We've done our best to find another offer (for the company) but did not find one. I urge you to think this over with a sense of responsibility,'' he said, warning that their reply would have to reach CAI by 15.30 (13:30 GMT) Thursday, half an hour before consortium members meet.
CISL leader Raffaele Bonanni, who heads Italy's second-biggest union, said it was willing to sign an accord with CAI, especially in view of the promise to reallocate future profits.
Unions have been told they must accept or reject CAI's business plan, which includes a controversial single contract for all employees.
If no accord is reached, Alitalia's government-appointed administrator will to begin shutting down operations, laying off staff and liquidating assets.
Meanwhile, a strike by smaller unions forced Alitalia to cancel at least 50 flights on Wednesday.
