IUF affiliate FLAI-CGIL recently held a national demonstration in the Latina province of Italy to denounce the brutal death of Satnam Singh and to demand a radical change in the agricultural production model to avoid the repetition of similar tragedies. The union called for an immediate end to the caporalato or master gang system which uses labour brokers to exploit workers with tragic consequences including death.
- Satnam Singh was a 31-year-old worker from India who lost his right arm in an accident on a farm and was barbarically left to die bleeding by his employer instead of taking him to the hospital
- The IUF joins FLAI-CGIL in denouncing the failure of the food production system to implement prevention and training policies on occupational health and safety, which causes innumerable deaths at work in agriculture
- The fight for good union jobs, for a living wage and for better health and safety conditions for all agricultural workers is a priority for the IUF and all its affiliates
“A safe and healthy working environment is not only a fundamental principle and right at work but also a fundamental requirement of a sustainable agri-food sector and should be an integral part of all policies for sustainable food systems. All workers, irrespective of their sex, employment or legal status, have the right to work in safe and healthy conditions.”
ILO policy guidelines for the promotion of decent work in the agri-food sector