«Wherethey should be at least 40 more operatives, and another 15 should cover technical roles. Instead, we risk a further impoverishment of almost 20% of the workforce currently in service, while for the umpteenth time we launch a cry of alarm on the eve of summer and the fire season.” Those are bitter words Gaetano Lacorte, company secretary of the Fire Brigade of the FP Cgil Taranto. There is enough to talk about the eternal dispute of the Fire Brigade of Taranto, who in the Ionian land – but the discussion could be extended to the entire country – live the responsibility of a fundamental role for the safety of the territory, but with the “blank weapons” with few staff and often obsolete equipment.
To this is added, in specific case of Tarantothe anomaly of a territory at high risk of a major accident due to the presence of large industrial settlements in the face of a constant erosion of personnel also following the blockade of the turnover and ever-increasing retirements. Lacorte explains that «while the workforce becomes increasingly smaller, those who are there are forced to exhausting work shifts, even lasting 12 hours, especially in the summer season where the workload, considering the forest fire campaign and the influx of tourists, increases exponentiallywith recalls and overtime returns, most of the time giving up their holidays in order to guarantee assistance to the Ionian citizens”.
All this, is the bitter observation of the union, “without Inail insurance coverage against accidents at work and professional diseases, with expired contractan inadequate professional system and an Administration that does not respect correct trade union relations”.
The CGIL itself highlights that “the Administration has decided to organize a course to qualify for team leader in the middle of the summer season for 1280 aspirantsfurther reducing the staffing of the Commands and not respecting the summer holiday period”.
“Enough is enough,” he adds Mimmo Sardelli, general secretary of the FP CGIL of Taranto which denounces «critical issues linked to urgent technical assistance and excessive workloads for years. We cannot always rely on the great professionalism of these women and men, who out of a sense of duty volunteer themselves on every occasion and for the good of the citizens, receiving undignified treatment from the Administration. If necessary we will call all staff to fight initiatives, claiming the rights and dignity of these workers.”
