At a rally in Latina, the CGIL union chief called for the government to do more about the 3 million off-book workers in Italy.
“It’s time to say ‘enough’ with more than three million workers in Italy being employed off the books,” CGIL union chief Maurizio Landini declared. The union had organised an anti-gangmastering rally in Latina on Saturday.
The town, located south of Rome, was recently shaken by the death of Satnam Singh, a 31-year-old Indian labourer working off the books. Singh bled out after being dumped by his alleged gangmaster outside his hut. His severed arm lay beside him on a fruit box.
“The people forced to work illegally in Italy number three million,” Landini stated. “We are talking about all sectors and the whole country, not just agriculture.”
Landini called for decisive action, urging governments and institutions at every level to stop ignoring the issue and to repeal laws that have perpetuated this exploitative system. “The number of inspectors is very low,” he said. “They can inspect a company only once every 16 years.”
He also criticised Premier Giorgia Meloni’s announcement of 1,600 additional inspectors. He noted similar promises have been made for three years without sufficient follow-through, and cuts continuing.
Call to repeal Bossi-Fini law
Landini reiterated the centre-left political opposition’s call to repeal the Bossi-Fini law on immigration, which criminalises thousands of migrants annually. He also advocated for a “permanent summit” on gangmastering in response to Singh’s horrific death, which has shocked the nation.
He emphasised the need for a new law against gangmastering. CGIL, the largest of Italy’s three major trade union confederations, organised the rally under the title “Let’s stop a system of doing business that exploits and kills.”
Singh’s death is not an isolated incident. The exploitation and dangerous working conditions of migrant farmhands are particularly severe in southern Italy, though they are prevalent across the entire country.
