Biell - An investigative shockwave has rocked Italy, exposing the shadow of exploitation of foreign labor that lurks even in public procurement.
The operation, dubbed "Stella Verde," involved approximately 60 members of the Guardia di Finanza in a major raid involving eight regions, with 19 searches mandated by the Biella Public Prosecutor's Office.
Five people are under investigation, on various counts, for a web of illegal activities ranging from gangmastering to unauthorized subcontracting, culminating in charges of aggravated bodily harm due to negligence for violating workplace safety regulations.
The investigation, coordinated by the Biella Economic and Financial Police Unit, with the support of units from Turin, Vercelli, Genoa, Rovigo, Bologna, Macerata, Naples, Caserta, Potenza, and Cosenza, spanned regional borders, reaching Piedmont, Liguria, Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Campania, Basilicata, and Calabria. The goal: to acquire evidence, including electronic documentation, to nail a system that profits off the backs of the most vulnerable workers.
The fuse: the accident at the Ingagna dam
Operation "Green Star" was launched by the dramatic testimony of a worker of Maghreb origin.
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An episode that tore the veil on the unfair conditions to which he and his compatriots were forced and which pushed him to report everything to the Biella Guardia di Finanza.
Gangmastering and Contracting: The Short Circuit of Exploitation
Subsequent investigations revealed a horrifying picture of gangmastering. Foreign nationals, despite holding valid residence permits, were allegedly forced to work grueling shifts, well beyond their contractual limits, without adequate breaks, rest days, or vacation time. Hygienic conditions were precarious, and the tasks were dangerous, performed without even the slightest provision of adequate personal protective equipment. All this was done for arbitrary wages and with the aggravating circumstance of having to endure threats and violence if they protested.
Completing the criminal picture is the shadow of illegal subcontracting in public works, carried out without the required legal notifications and authorizations. This mechanism, as highlighted by the Guardia di Finanza's activities, not only harms workers but also undermines fair competition between businesses, encouraging the infiltration of the illegal economy into strategic sectors.
While the Public Prosecutor's Office emphasizes the principle of the presumption of innocence until a final conviction, the actions of the Guardia di Finanza remain a cornerstone of the strategy to combat behaviors that generate inequalities and injustices, protecting the labor market and safety.
The "Stella Verde" operation shines a spotlight on a phenomenon sadly familiar in the agricultural sector, but increasingly widespread and ramifications in the construction and public procurement sectors, a cancer corroding the entire national economic system.
Comments (1)
Operation Stella Verde seems important because it highlights the problem of gangmastering, which also exists in public procurement. However, it must be said that more controls and stricter laws are needed to prevent these situations.