Rome: Some 30% of farm work in Italy is irregular and often carried out by off-the-books migrants, according to the seventh annual ‘agromafia’ and gangmastering report from trade union FLAI CGIL released on Wednesday.
According to Ansa News Agency, the 2023 report highlights that approximately 200,000 irregular workers are employed in the agricultural sector, accounting for nearly a third of all farm workers in Italy. The report further underscores the vulnerability of 50,000 women workers who are potential victims of exploitation.
The findings reveal that both men and women earn an average of just over 6,000 euros annually, often facing exploitation and gangmastering. The report indicates that significant segments of the ‘exploitation chain’ are controlled by organized crime, exacerbating the challenges faced by these workers.
Despite efforts by successive governments to combat gangmastering and tackle the influence of agro-mafias, little progress has been made. A stark illustration of the ongoing issues
occurred in June when a gangmaster abandoned a Sikh worker to bleed out by the roadside near Latina, south of Rome, following a severe accident involving a wrapping machine.
