“A year ago, between 2 and 3 May and between 15 and 17 May, two catastrophic events hit our territory.
Those events caused 17 deaths, tens of thousands of displaced people, entire communities overwhelmed by water, mud and landslides. On this occasion we reiterate once again our condolences and our closeness to the victims and their families.
To recover, the strength of the affected population and communities was fundamental, as they worked incessantly together with the rescuers and thousands of volunteers who arrived from all over the Region and all over Italy.
One year later, it is necessary to remember the tragedy that our territory has suffered and to rally alongside those who unfortunately continue to suffer its consequences.
However, it is also necessary to take stock of the choices that have been made.
The overall damage inflicted on our territory amounted to approximately 9.5 billion euros.
In the days immediately following the flood, the Government went out of its way, promising that it would guarantee 100% compensation for the damage suffered by the population and rapid and effective reconstruction.
Unfortunately, however, things did not go this way: the Government’s promises ended up in the mud.
To date, almost all of the affected families have not received any compensation for the damage suffered, with the exception of the first interventions carried out through the CAS and the CIS.
The Government, which had promised 100% compensation for damages, has not yet found the time to approve an amendment that allows compensation for movable property (furniture, household appliances, etc.). This is a real shame, a slap in the face to the affected population.
Furthermore, the envisaged procedures are complex and cumbersome and the rules to regulate the use of the tax credit for the provision of compensation are still missing, a measure requested by the trade unions and implemented in the latest Budget Law.
On the reconstruction side, the Government has allocated half of the necessary funds. Furthermore, there is no further news of the allocation of 1.2 billion euros from the PNRR announced with great fanfare by President Meloni. It is therefore not known whether these are additional resources compared to those already allocated and what the methods and timing are for the implementation of the projects.
We then requested in all offices the hiring of personnel for all the local authorities and public administrations involved in the reconstruction, but to date there are great difficulties in carrying out even the few planned hires.
In this way, the objective of a rapid and sustainable reconstruction from a social and environmental point of view, capable of tackling the climate emergency we are experiencing, becomes increasingly more of a mirage.
We immediately proposed to Commissioner Figliuolo to share a Protocol with all the institutions and social partners to guarantee legality, quality of work and safety at work in reconstruction. We were not listened to and the Commissioner prepared a partial and insufficient Protocol with the Prefectures.
The balance that emerges is clearly worrying and negative for the territories involved and for the people who have suffered damage.
But even in the face of these difficulties – as we have done from day one and until today – we will continue to stand alongside the affected population and demand the answers needed to compensate for the damages and to carry out the reconstruction of all the damaged public and private infrastructures and destroyed.”
CGIL Emilia Romagna
