Inail declines responsibility for the lack of social security benefits to Franco Di Mare, who reported being affected by mesothelioma due to exposure to asbestos after being sent to war zones, underlining that he is an “unprotected person” according to the current legislation.
The journalist’s lawyer, Ezio Bonanni, however, replies that the institute will be sued and will have to recognize the professional illness and the accident, but that even before that it is Rai “that will have to compensate for the damage for not having implemented all the necessary protective measures”.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Rai, Roberto Sergio, confirms that he was not informed “until the press reports on Monday morning of his colleague’s state of health and his repeated requests”, saying he is humanly close to his colleague. He then assures: “Franco Di Mare will very shortly receive what was requested in past years”. What provoked the reaction of the institute that deals with accidents at work were some press articles in which it was stated that the practice was “blocked at INAIL”. “At the beginning of December the Institute was unable to do anything other than acknowledge that he was an “unprotected person” pursuant to Inpgi legislation – we read in a note -. The illnesses of information professionals holding a relationship of subordinate work are protected only from the beginning of 2024, after the end of the transitional period of transition from the protection of the Inpgi to that of the Institute”.
For this reason, the Institute claims that it is not entitled “to ascertain the causal link between the profession carried out by the journalist and the pathology he contracted nor to issue a certification attesting or not to this correlation”. A reconstruction disputed by Di Mare’s lawyer. “The Inail is responsible for carrying out investigations on exposure to asbestos and I will sue them for the recognition of social security benefits relating to occupational disease and accidents, but it is RAI that must compensate for the damage – explains Bonanni -. It is up to the “The company should check what the risks are for one of its employees who is sent to war zones, in the presence of large quantities of asbestos fibers and radioactive materials, and implement all the necessary protection measures”. He then underlines that the first communication on the matter dates back to 13 July 2021 and the last to 19 March 2024. “No one has ever responded to the various formal and informal reports and the request for a shared solution made to the company – he continues -. Rai knew everything and I confirm what Di Mare said.” “If the current management – he concludes – believes it wants to change its attitude, we are available for discussion as long as this, given the long time that has passed since the first communication, is rapid, loyal, transparent and timely”.
ANSA Agency Rai: Sergio and Rossi only learned about the Di Mare affair yesterday. ‘Maximum availability towards the journalist’ – TV – Ansa.it The journalist in connection from Fazio A Che tempo che fa: ‘I have a very bad tumor. Rai’s silence is repugnant’ (ANSA)Di Mare’s lawyer, ‘it is Rai that must compensate for the damage’
“Inail is responsible for carrying out investigations on exposure to asbestos and I will sue them for the recognition of social security benefits relating to occupational disease and accidents, but it is RAI that must compensate for the damage. It is up to the company to verify which are the risks for one of your employees who is sent to war zones, in the presence of asbestos fibers in large quantities and radioactive materials, and to implement all the necessary protection measures”. Ezio Bonanni, Franco Di Mare’s lawyer, explains this to ANSA, underlining that the first communication on the matter dates back to 13 July 2021 and the last to 19 March 2024.
“No one has ever responded to the various formal and informal reports and the request for a shared solution made to the company – he adds in a note -. I understand that Jean Pierre el Kozeh, Di Mare’s agent, in a final attempt to define good nature of the matter, wrote emails to Rai’s top management in November 2023, but these too were never responded to”. “We therefore learn with surprise that Rai claims to have activated an Inail procedure, when instead – the note continues – very differently, it is certain that it was Di Mare who initiated and requested at least the establishment of the social security benefits due by receiving from ‘The request for the service record is made, that is, precisely that document which, although requested several times via certified e-mail, Rai has never delivered. However, it should be noted that no Inail assessment is needed on the action for compensation for damages, which is based on the conduct of RAI which did not protect the health of Doctor Di Mare, as he was sent to places highly contaminated with asbestos and radiation”.
“I want to reiterate that Di Mare’s interest is not compensation, but it is a question of principle – he tells ANSA -. As he himself explained on TV from Fazio, it is the lack of response that has hurt him. March we proceeded with the formal notice of Rai, even though Di Mare didn’t want to know everything and I confirm what he said. I also followed another case of mesiothelioma on an employee who fell ill in Viale Mazzini and in that case I immediately received an answer. There I understood that something wasn’t right about Di Mare. It’s a tumor that almost always has an unfortunate outcome and dragging it out prevents people from getting the right support of Rai, but also in Viale Mazzini there was a lot of asbestos, they weren’t very foresighted. Even the top management is at risk, it’s a disease that doesn’t look good to anyone, low doses are enough. They wasted too much time.” “If the current management – he concludes – believes it wants to change its attitude, we are available for discussion as long as this, given the long time that has passed since the first communication, is rapid, loyal, transparent and timely”.
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