“The $200 million allocated to overcome the ‘ghettos’ of foreign workers is at risk of ending up elsewhere due to significant delays.”
Maurizio Landini, secretary of the CGIL, intervenes in the Union Party in Milan and does not use half measures. There is a risk of kidnapping. In addition to the apparent delay given that the Extraordinary Commissioner, Governor Maurizio Falco, was appointed only 20 days ago, that is, two months later than expected under Decree 19/2024. “This amount – as Landini puts it – is due to the commitment, the battles we fought and the questions we asked some time ago because naturally the living conditions of these workers are there for everyone to see,” Landini explains.
“When we talk about overcoming ghettos, it means providing a home, it means providing housing, it means building a system. And we are talking about a sector, the agricultural sector, in which hundreds of thousands of people work every year and generate a lot of turnover for companies. We are talking about agriculture in Italy, which is one of the most important sectors there is.”
Here is the warning again to the government: “To address this issue, we need political will that we do not see today. “We are no longer prepared to sit idly by and wait for what happens.”
The minister’s appeal is directed to those killed by gang leaders, most recently in Latina, Indian worker Satnam Singh: “We are facing a system of doing business that kills, we are facing a massacre. While the government holds press conferences. But it does not take steps to change this image. As we often see, we are talking about precarious workers, illegal workers, and oftentimes workers who subcontract for someone else. Therefore, if we want to bring the person back to the center of attention, we need to change the stupid laws that have been enacted in recent years, we need to change the model of doing business, and invest in training and prevention. Today it is often viewed as a mere cost rather than a value.”
As for the phenomenon of gang control, there is no doubt for Landini: “It has not been talked about for a year. The meeting held two days ago with the government only needed to hold a press conference.” He adds that, as the data confirm, “it is not a phenomenon that concerns the South only, but rather the entire country.”
For the CGIL Secretary, “There is also a problem related to the relationship between operating companies and large-scale distribution. The entire system that manages this situation must be changed. We have to get to the point, as is the case in some construction sectors, where a company has to prove that it has certain characteristics and that it respects collective agreements. “This can also be done in agriculture, but I repeat that political will is required.”
Hence the suggestion: “Why not introduce a quality certificate for which those who buy or sell fruit must clarify a series of standards?” From this standpoint, regions and institutions should not even pretend not to see what is happening.”
Even regarding the decree of flows “used with the feet” he is very critical of CEO Meloni: “Only 20% of those who arrive in Italy on request have regular contracts because often there are shell companies that do not exist. We are faced with the fact that a large part of these workers who arrive here become irregular and are exploited.” And finally, the call to mobilization: “In the next few days we will continue these initiatives in the region (after yesterday’s demonstration in Latina, ed.).”
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