Adil Belakhdim

  • Novara, trade unionist dead hit by truck during the demonstration.

    Truck driver arrested

Share

by Tiziana Di Giovannandrea

19 June 2021 The protest of the logistics workers does not stop after the death of Adil Belakhdim, the 37-year-old trade unionist of the SICobas, hit by a truck in Biandrate in the Novara area while participating in a garrison in front of the gates of the warehouse area of ​​the chain Lidl, Friday 18 June, during the national logistics strike. Two other demonstrators were injured.



The workers of all the companies of the logistic center met, from this morning at 6, in garrison in front of the site of the accident in Biandrate, after the death of the unionist overwhelmed by the driver of a truck then arrested for road murder, wrongful death and resistance. SI Cobas exponent was dragged for several meters after an argument with the truck driver.



Both the basic unions and the confederal unions, CGIL, CISL, UIL were present in Biandrate and announced that the protest will continue until 24.00 today. Tomorrow June 20 the protest continues until 24.00. Also today in Rome in Piazza della Repubblica the national demonstration SI Cobas took place where Adil Belakhdim was remembered.




Investigations

Meanwhile, the truck driver who hit and killed Adil Belakhim is under arrest. It is a 26-year-old Italian driver, Alessio Spasiano. The driver would not have stopped the truck which dragged the man 20 meters and then drove away. The hearing to validate the detention is awaited. Monday is expected by the investigating judge.



The driver works for a company in Castellammare di Stabia, supplier of Lidl of Novara and yesterday he had just unloaded the goods in the supermarket warehouse, before forcing the garrison of workers. During the escape, the truck driver from Caserta phoned his confirmation godfather, a policeman, saying: "A mess has happened". He told the Superintendent of the State Police what he had done and immediately the policeman told him to "go back, because otherwise you will be in worse trouble". The truck driver thus called 112 and constituted himself to the Carabinieri.



The meeting with the prefect of Novara

The logistics sector contributes 9% of the Italian Gross Domestic Product, a sector that has grown unevenly during the pandemic. The confederal unions on Friday afternoon at the end of the meeting with the prefect Pasquale Gioffrè, had highlighted "the importance of being united for the good of all. What happened is an alarm bell of the tension existing in the territory". The representatives of SI Cobas in front of today's garrison reiterated their protest "against intensive exploitation in a sector like that of logistics where precariousness and illegality are a system". After the meeting yesterday afternoon, the prefect of Novara said he was committed "to report and transmit to the Government the requests that have emerged from all the trade unions. The requests made mainly concern greater control by the Ministry for the respect of workers' rights within companies ".