MILAN (Reuters) - Layoffs at Alitalia should be less than 5,000, Italy's labour minister Maurizio Sacconi told la Repubblica newspaper in an interview published on Saturday.

Alitalia sought bankruptcy protection on Friday after nearly two years of hunting for a buyer, paving the way for its rescue by a group of Italian investors in a coup for Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

The labour minister's estimate of layoffs is lower than reports have suggested for the collapsed airline.

"I hope they will be less" than 5,000, Sacconi said. He added that he could not give a figure for the cost of the layoffs because it would depend on the number and age of people leaving as well as other factors.

Alitalia filed for bankruptcy protection under a revised law that will facilitate the sale of its slots, planes and other usable assets to Italian investors.

The group could also take on about 88 million euros of debt, Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper said on Saturday.

The group is expected to put in as much as 1 billion euros -- well above Alitalia's last value on the stock market before its shares were suspended from trading.

Sacconi, who will kick off talks with Alitalia's unions on Monday, said it was up to adviser Intesa (ISP.MI: Quote, Profile, Research) Sanpaolo, administrator Augusto Fantozzi and the Italian investor group to decide on a deadline for the discussions.

Private companies will be offered incentives to take on workers leaving Alitalia and Sacconi said public sector jobs would only be available on merit.