THE SEMINAR
From October 6th to October 8th 2017, an international seminar on the topic "Work and legality: immigration and integration" took place in Tropea, Italy. The seminar was organized by Feder.Agri, in cooperation with the MCL, the Foundation Italiana Europa Popolare and IPCM, and supported by the EZA and the European Union. It was part of the EZA project coordination on the topic "Integration of migrants and refugees into the labour market - the role of workers' organisations".
59 representatives of employee organisations from Austria, Germany, France, Poland, Albania, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Italy took part in the seminar.
During the planned meetings, influential speakers, including the national president of the MCL, Carlo Costalli, who opened the first day's work, focused on the need to ensure legality in work, at work and to regard work as an essential issue for the harmonious development of society in order to create social cohesion. The Secretary General of Feder.Agri. Alfonso Luzzi, FAI-CISL Secretary General Luigi Sbarra, EZA Co-President Piergiorgio Sciacqua, MP Carmen Quintanilla, Member of the Spanish Parliament, MCL Vice President Vincenzo Massara and a young southern entrepreneur Mario Romano also took part in the meeting.
THE TOPICS DISCUSSED
On the first day of the seminar, the issue of illegal employment and illegality in the food industry was discussed with the interesting intervention of the Secretary General of FAI CISL Italy Luigi Sbarra, who again emphasized the importance of the quality of the company and the work. Two aspects that march together and require serious investment in order to promote knowledge and skills. Good and professional work, protected and fairly paid, which fuels the engine of "Made in Italy" in agriculture.
The important contribution of Carmen Quintanilla, a Member of the Spanish Parliament, on the need to favour women at work and to improve their working, living and income conditions must also be emphasised.
The last meeting on Saturday, which ended with a round table, provided an opportunity to present the good practices developed in recent years at European level to combat illegal employment and illegal work.
CONCLUSIONS
These days, thanks to the important successive presentations, not only was the need for the integration of foreign workers highlighted, but it was also a moment to deal with the various legislative measures that the countries represented in Tropea have applied in recent years to eliminate the scourge of illegality in the agricultural and food sector. It is up to the institutions to deal with illegal employment and illegal work, but it is also up to Europe to conduct a social dialogue. The discussion also covered the difficulties facing businesses, particularly those in southern Italy, training and agriculture 4.0, given that knowledge will become increasingly important in the near future.
A necessary process of innovation that must be promoted and supported. In addition to these issues, the need for intervention and the involvement of intermediaries were reaffirmed in order to promote demand and supply of agricultural labour and to prevent illegal forms of job placement. Last but not least, the role played by social dialogue in the world of European agricultural workers as a central link for cohesion and integration into the social fabric of the Mediterranean, where the agricultural and food sector and the flow of migrant arrivals are predominant.