London. In Italian tomatoes’ production there is a “caporalato system”. Between the boss and workers there is a person – a gang master – who compels African migrants to work without contracts and low pay. They usually are forced to excessive working hours and harsh treatment, as well.
To help these people, many volunteers organised the second edition of “Out of the Ghetto Night” in Hackney, at the Look Mum No hands (125-127 Mare Street).
Italoeuropeo.com interviewed the manager, Rossana Caglia to find out many more details about this event and “gang master system” .
Who is “Out of the Ghetto”?
Out of the Ghetto is composed of volunteers who collaborate with organisations, such as “Osservatorio Migranti”, to support African workers, employed in tomatoes production in Italy.
These migrants are exploited by illegal gang masters (caporalato system). Workers usually are subject to threat and harsh treatment and excessing working hours.
What is your mission?
Last year we started a project to help these migrants. We built a school in Boreano, a town of Basilicata, to teach them Italian language on three levels, basic, intermediate and advanced.
This plan is important, not only for the knowledge of Italian language, but to create a new mentality among workers so that they could struggle to obtained their rights.
Are there also some English people who support this project?
Yes, there are. We are gathering funds to support this project, involving also English and Londoners. We can tell the city of London is interested to this situation.
Many people ask us many information about gang masters. They want to know report and figures on this argument.
There are also English people who move in Italy to help some organization to stop this “caporalato system”.
What is the bond between Italy and England about tomatoes trade?
England is the best importer of Italian tomatoes. For this reason our products, from the South of Italy, are distributed in main English chains.
What could be the solution for gang master system?
It’s absolutely important to create an ethic code to the industry. According to the report published last year by IEH (Ethic Trading Initiative Norway): “The local union UILA, with the support of trade unions FLAI and FAI and the producer organisations ANICAV and AIIPA put forward a proposal to develop an ethical code that the companies in the industry should commit to. The delegation stressed the point that, although a new code will be useful, the focus should be on verifying that the existing legal framework covers the minimum standards for all workers, including migrants, and on implementing these regulation.”
What will happen on 14th November during ‘Out of the Ghetto Night’?
This event is supported by Cv&Coffee and The Italian Community ,It’s also possible to see a photographic exhibition of Tiziano Doria who will talk about working conditions of migrants in Basilicata. And also between performers there will be an English poet Angry Sam also .
It’s necessary to pay 5 pound to take part to “Out of the Ghetto Night”, but 5 pound are useful to improve migrants’ life.