The passage of Cyclone Harry caused extensive damage along the Ionian coast of the province of Reggio Calabria, severely hitting infrastructure, homes, production activities and essential services. This is an extremely critical situation which is also having serious repercussions on employment and social levels, worsening conditions of fragility that have already been present in the area for some time.
The storm surges and bad weather have compromised stretches of seafront, roads and coastal defense works, putting workers in the fishing, tourism, trade and related sectors in serious difficulty. Many activities are currently at a standstill or severely limited, with the real risk of losing jobs and income.
The Commissioner of the Cisal Provincial Union of Reggio Calabria, Avv. Anna Iaria, expresses, on behalf of the entire Provincial Union, the utmost solidarity towards the affected populations.
In recent days, institutional inspections were carried out by representatives of the Government and the Calabria Region, including the Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, Nello Musumeci, the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Matteo Salvini, and the President of the Calabria Region, Roberto Occhiuto.
The Commissioner of the Cisal Provincial Union of Reggio Calabria, Lawyer Anna Iaria, takes note of this attention, but believes it is essential that the visits are followed by rapid decisions and concrete interventions.
To this end, it is necessary to streamline and simplify the procedures currently in force, reducing bureaucracy and allowing timely interventions, as has been observed by many.
The Cisal Provincial Union hopes that the Government will declare and make fully operational the necessary emergency tools, allocating adequate resources for:
the immediate safety of the affected areas;
the restoration of damaged infrastructure;
the reconstruction of compromised stretches of coast, with structural and long-lasting interventions;
the protection of employment, through social safety nets and extraordinary support measures for workers and businesses.
It is essential that the reconstruction phase is approached with a long-term vision, capable of combining territorial security, risk prevention and sustainable development, while ensuring legality, transparency and the involvement of the social partners.
The Ionian coast of Reggio can no longer be left alone in the face of emergencies. Cyclone Harry must represent a turning point: the Cisal Provincial Union asks the Government to demonstrate, with concrete actions, that this territory and its workers are a priority on the national agenda.