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«The data that emerged from the recent checks carried out by the Territorial Labor Inspectorate in the Cosentino area is alarming and confirms what FenealUil Calabria has been reporting for years: illegal work and the failure to apply safety regulations continue to be a plague, especially on construction sites». This was stated by the general secretary of FenealUil Calabria, Giacomo Maccarone, commenting on the results of the inspection activities carried out in various centers in the province of Cosenza on construction sites and in the preparation of beaches and bathing establishments.
«If out of 19 companies controlled, 18 are irregular – underlines Maccarone – it means that we are not faced with isolated episodes but with a widespread system of illegality which puts workers’ rights at risk, alters competition between companies and, above all, exposes people to serious dangers».
«Behind the numbers there are workers without protection»
Particularly worrying, according to the union, is the data relating to workers found without regular employment and without insurance coverage. «Out of 54 job positions, 28 were found to be irregular. Behind these numbers there are people without protection, often forced to accept unsafe working conditions in order to maintain a job” highlights the secretary of FenealUil Calabria.
Maccarone also highlights how the suspension of twelve companies demonstrates the effectiveness of inspection activities when they are carried out “in a widespread and coordinated manner”. Hence the request to further strengthen the inspectors’ staff and increase the frequency of checks, especially in the sectors considered most exposed to risks.
The union relaunches the construction site badge
For FenealUil Calabria, the introduction and full use of the construction site badge also becomes fundamental, defined as a tool of transparency and legality capable of identifying those who work in the workplace, verifying the regularity of hiring, tracking attendance and access and combating the phenomenon of illegal work and irregular subcontracting.
«The badge also represents an important safeguard for safety, because it allows more effective checks on the figures present on the construction site and on the mandatory training of workers» continues Maccarone, recalling how the digital and advanced version of the tool is currently used above all on post-earthquake reconstruction construction sites in Central Italy.
Finally, the general secretary of FenealUil Calabria draws attention to the numerous infrastructure works planned in the region in the coming months. «Calabria will be affected by the opening of numerous construction sites for the construction of large railway, road and logistics works. These are investments that can represent a great employment opportunity, but which require worker traceability, control of subcontracting and the fight against illegal work. This is why the issue of the construction site badge is central to guaranteeing legality and safety on construction sites” he concludes.