at Alitalia rejected the new productivity-linked contracts offered by CAI. These new contracts were a condition for the takeover to go ahead. The wage decrease of at least 25% was also not acceptable to the unions. The unions rejected the proposals after a meeting with Rocco Sabelli, the designated managing director, and labour ministry officials. The government set a deadline for acceptance by the unions as Thursday the 11th of September 2008. On Friday 12 September CAI broke off negotiations with the unions. CAI stated "that after seven days of meetings, there aren't the conditions to continue negotiations." The Italian government convinced CAI and the unions to renegotiate during the weekend of 13 September 2008. The negotiations dragged on through Thursday the 18th. CAI improved their offer by decreasing the wage cut for the crew, and also the number of layoffs. Three of the nine unions accepted this offer, but six of them (including the unions of the crew and the pilots) did not. CAI set a new deadline of 15.50 Thursday 18 September. Some of the unions reacted with a proposal to renegotiate. On 22 September CAI withdrew their buyout offer. Alitalia published a notice in four newspapers (3 Italian newspapers and 1 British) on Tuesday 23 September 2008 seeking offers to buy any or all parts of its assets. Prime-minister Silvio Berlusconi forced a meeting on 25 September 2008 of Alitalia's unions and the Italian investor CAI. He hoped to be able to close a deal between CAI and the unions. Berlusconi stated on September 24 that Italy needs a national carrier and that it is inconceivable that foreign carriers would be responsible for air transport in Italy. Berlusconi, said that Italy must "continue to have its own flag carrier," and that "there is no possibility of any foreign airline taking upon itself the burden and responsibility of all of Alitalia. This hypothesis doesn't exist and never has." On Thursday September 25, 2008 the largest union CGIL agreed with the buyout plan of CAI. CGIL claims to have won some concessions of CAI, mainly no or less wage cut for the lowest paid workers. The negotiations continue to get the support of unions representing pilots and flight assistants. CAI set a deadline for these unions by October 15. The Italian flight authority Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC) has withdrawn their threat to suspend the license of Alitalia