Injuries and work related deaths.

According to what the numbers say, the white deaths in Italy are less and less. Good news, though it is hard to see where it ends the safety of construction sites and factories, and where begins blackmail and silence. Yes, because looking at the official number of work related deaths,also if the silent massacre continues, Italy's portrait that emerges is that of a country which, after all, is not so bad. The most recent data, provided by Inail (work insurance government company), for 2009, speak of "790,000 industrial accidents, a decrease of 9.7% compared to 2008, which means 85 thousand cases less than the year before." The number of deaths, according to the Inail (National Institute for Insurance against accidents at work), fell between 2008 and 2009, rising from 1,120 to 1,050. A positive trend, then. According to the surveys of the Veneto Vega Observatory on Security Engineering, in the first eight months of 2010 to have lost their lives at work are 358. Let's assume that, despite the gravity of the situation at the end of the data will be even lower.

Beyond the official numbers, however, the situation is more complex. The unions explained: "Certainly the Inail not mind. The numbers and figures without a doubt show a decrease of accidents and deaths :" But it must be said that there was also the contraction of hours worked. Also, there is growth in the number of illegal workers, who often in cases of injury, are not able to report anything. There are many daily records of foreigners left in front of an emergency. " A point of view indirectly confirmed by the numbers: the detection of Engineering Vega recorded as 90% of Italians are injured in the age group most protected, that between 40 and 59 years. In short, young people or foreigners are never injured, or are not able to report. "The crisis has led to a general tightening of the competition, poisoned by the criterion of maximum downward and a too-long chain of subcontractors explains the secretary of Fillea Schiavella-Walter and this has an impact on the weakest of the weak, foreigners held in by crime of illegal immigration. " Another figure that the union deemed significant is related to the hours of sick leave, increased by 11% in 2009. This is an item that is considered an indicator system to silence widespread injuries and accidents: "The employer - added by Fillea - makes an agreement with its employee asking injured, possibly in return for some extra cash out of the envelope, but not to report the accident to get in condition. " This avoids problems. It may also be explained in this way, the trend has been declining.

Natasha Gargano (il Fatto Quotidiano)