Coronavirus: Italy's labor shortage threatens crops

Text by: RFI Follow

The question arose almost from the start of containment, and it is increasingly urgent to provide an answer. Italy risks a shortage of agricultural labor to harvest fruits and vegetables. The country employs many seasonal migrants. With sanitary measures and the difficulties of movement, thousands of arms could be missing. According to the newspaper Il Fatto daily, 40% of the crops could rot on the spot if no solution is found. Employers, government and unions are looking for solutions.

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The government has extended the validity of residence permits and plans to regularize undocumented migrants. The agricultural organization CIA is in favor of this, but fears that it will take too long to materialize. One of its managers, Danilo De Lellis, therefore wishes to widen the work coupons allowing flexibility in certain recruitments.

“  We would like the work coupons, so the return of the subsidiary work, specifies Danilo De Lellis, joined by Pauline Gleize . Otherwise, a flexible tool must be found which makes it possible to speed up recruitment, including why not among the beneficiaries of citizenship income or short-time working.  "

But several unions, including the ICFTU Agri-Food Federation, oppose work coupons. "  This penalizes workers from the point of view of their social protection," insists Onofrio Rota, his secretary general at the microphone of Pauline Gleize. But we are in favor of employing people receiving aid.  "

"  Companies not structured not all structured for that  "

Another avenue envisaged: the creation of green corridors to bring in foreign labor. But Danilo De Lellis is doubtful: “  They should be doing active quarantine. So during the first 14 days, in companies, they could not be in contact with other workers. They should have separate changing rooms. Here, not all companies are structured to handle this.  "

Without an alternative, social distancing may also lead companies that offered accommodation or a means of transport to reduce this supply or to assume higher costs.

► Read also: Coronavirus: Italy plans a very gradual deconfinement from May 4

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