The Amendolara massacre has inevitably brought the issue of illegal labor recruitment back to the center of political debate. At the demonstration organized by the Cgil yesterday, Pd secretary Elly Schlein went on the attack, asking the government to strengthen existing legislation and proposing the preventive seizure of companies involved in worker exploitation: «We can no longer talk only about illegal labor recruitment, we must talk about the employers. Now we will see what the investigations will reveal; there are responsibilities beyond those of the two people who have already been arrested and who must face justice. Talking about employers means also looking at the responsibilities of corporate connivance. Preventive seizure of companies that employ exploited workers is needed».
THE SUPPLY CHAIN
The interpretation therefore intends to involve the entire economic supply chain and not just illegal intermediaries. However, it reveals a clear political contradiction. Difficult to ignore. The main Italian law against illegal labor recruitment, Law 199 of 2016, was approved precisely by center-left governments and presented at the time as a decisive turning point. Ten years later, in the face of a new tragedy, that same political area is again asking for new measures and a strengthening of existing tools. Theirs. The question is inevitable: if that law was so effective, why does the phenomenon continue to exist?
It is evident that no single rule can eliminate a drama rooted in the agricultural economy. But Schlein knows this. Precisely for this reason, she should avoid pontificating now, as if she knew exactly what the government should do to solve the problem. Even the Cgil’s position is less demagogic than that of the Pd. Maurizio Landini insists above all on the need to apply existing laws, increase controls, strengthen inspectorates, use funds allocated for the reception of seasonal workers, and overcome the system of agricultural ghettos. In other words, the problem would be less legislative and more administrative. Schlein’s proposal to talk about «employers» also introduces an ideological dimension that recalls the traditional conflict between workers and employers. It is a language that mobilizes a part of the left-wing electorate but also risks simplifying a much more complex reality. Italian agriculture is not only made up of large companies: there are thousands of small and medium-sized businesses operating in a market characterized by compressed prices, international competition, and often reduced margins.
This does not mean denying the responsibilities of those who exploit workers, but recognizing that the problem arises from a combination of factors: irregular immigration, lack of controls, insufficient housing and transport for farm laborers, pressure from large-scale distribution on agricultural prices, and the presence of organized crime in some areas. All critical issues that the left has not only never resolved, but at times has even favored.
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THE TEARS
How can we forget the tears of former Minister of Agriculture Teresa Bellanova during the Conte II government. At the time, in 2020, she broke down crying in front of the camera during the launch of the Relaunch Decree, which contained rules for the regularization of irregular foreign farm laborers. She declared that the State had won against illegal labor recruitment: «From today, the invisible will be less invisible». Well, it shows.
The Amendolara tragedy therefore demands a reflection that goes beyond the emotion of the moment. It is right to demand justice for the victims and to pursue all responsibilities. But it is equally legitimate to ask why, after years of special legislation and political promises, the phenomenon has not been defeated by the very people who today propose new solutions. The old ones, when put to the test, proved to be nothing more than magic potions. With chicken feet, bat wings, and tears. Crocodile tears.
