We remember on 24 April the death which occurred in 1998 near Cerignola in the province of Foggia of two very young women Maria Incoronata Ramella and Incoronata Sollazzo who died in a late afternoon in a road accident. They were two farm workers, Maria, 25 years old, had recently married. Their death was not accidental but determined by the serious dilapidated conditions of the vehicle in which they were travelling; the gangmaster not only exploits human beings, reducing them to conditions of almost slavery for a paltry wage, but offers “services” truly unworthy of a human being: dirty and inadequate dormitories, insufficient food, dangerous structures and infrastructures for workers. Even today, according to the latest research reports, this phenomenon is spreading in traditional sectors, 450 thousand cases confirmed in the agricultural sector alone for Eurispes, and in the new sectors of the gig economy, compromising the most basic human rights. We need to reflect and raise awareness among young people about this issue because the hands of the clock cannot be turned back.
The National Coordination of Teachers of the discipline of Human Rights highlights the work of the young student Mario Dattoli of class I section. D of the Filolao Scientific High School in Crotone, which tells the sad story of two courageous women who, for reasons of mere survival, met an atrocious fate.
“Cerignola, 24 April 1998, it was a sunny spring day, when Maria Incoronata Ramella and Incoronata Sollazzo lost their lives due to a road accident. They were agricultural labourers, victims of gangmastering, illegally recruited and exploited for hard work in the fields. For a few days they had been working at a canning company in the province of Bari. After a day of work they were returning home in a “Fiat Ducato” van, approved for ten people which, unfortunately, was carrying 17 men and women. During the journey, due to the blowout of the rear right tyre, the van went off the road, thus, the two young women lost their lives and left their families forever. The criminal world kills in many ways and often deceives desperate people into believing that it is helping them by offering work which in reality is exploitative and can lead to death.”
The CNDDU once again invites students and teachers to join the project ourstudentstellthemartyrsoflegality . The works can be reported to the CNDDU which will make them visible on its social channels (email: [email protected]) (Prof. Romano Pesavento President CNDDU)
