The anger of 12 Odt, agricultural and forestry workers, exploded who works in the Vesuvius area and which has been waiting for 16 years to be stabilized by the Campania Region and the Metropolitan City of Naples. Violent protests over the occupation of the fourth floor of the building on Via Don Bosco after months of broken promises. Yesterday morning the 12 workers and their families received another communication from the Metropolitan City manager regarding the postponement of the contract confirmation meeting which so far only provides a 6 month work period, namely April to November. Sixteen years of insecurity and constant delays, the last from September to today, leading to yesterday’s attitude.
Anger
“We can’t live like this anymore – said Cosimina Bocciathe wife of one of the workers. We cannot live on 6 months’ salary, we have dependent children, how can we survive?”. The delegation was also received by the Campania Region which sent them back to the Metropolitan municipality which, in turn, delayed several times the stabilization of the workers. In fact, it was the Region that provided funds to the Metropolitan municipality and provided the delegation to assign tasks to the workers. «We have been seasonal for 16 yearsthey also changed the law – said one of the workers – but these promises have not been kept to date. Yesterday at another meeting, they attacked us again. Tomorrow is our last day of work, so we won’t get a salary.” Then there was another issue related to meal vouchers: workers reported that they had not received the tickets they were entitled to in 2025. Together with the workers, the union was also present and tried to mediate between the parties to reach an agreement.
labor union
«These workers do basic work – he said Francesco FattorusoSecretary Fai Cisl Napoli – and currently there are 39. Five years ago there were 70, then there were early retirements. Without these 12 workers, we currently have 27 units of labor, too few to manage the necessary maintenance.” Trade union mediation made it possible to change the regional law that allows 12 workers to be stabilized and that previously, for Regions and Metropolitan municipalities, did not allow this to be done. «22 other delegated bodies have stabilized their 1,200 workers – underlines Melania Sannino, Uila Regional Secretary – because they have exceeded 179 working days. We are waiting for the economic report to understand the future of the 12 ODT workers.” The need for personnel is there: last summer there were several fires on Vesuvius whose green areas required maintenance and control. These workers are well trained as they have been carrying out these tasks for 16 years and will therefore be the most suitable figures to fill the staff shortage. A responsibility points to politics: here the workers have announced that they will return their voter cards and will not vote in the regional elections. On November 17, a meeting was held between Maurizio GrossoSecretary General Sifus Cias, and Luigi Riccio, director of the regional Department of Agriculture, agreed to the new delays, sparking workers’ anger. Another problem is unemployment checks that workers say often arrive months after their scheduled contract expirations in November. The struggle will continue: while the workers’ families are in despair, from tomorrow they will no longer have a contract and, without stabilization, they will have to wait until April 2026 to receive another possible assignment.
