During the first 10 months of 2026, the slaughter in Italian workplaces has never halted. The total toll stands at 1,265 workers deceased, 965 of whom died directly at their work sites. This represents a dramatic average of 4.16 workers dying per day: an unacceptable daily tragedy for a civilized country.
The Tragedies Shocking Public Opinion and the Strength of the "Fighting Mothers"
The month that just passed has been dramatic and has deeply marked the collective conscience. Public opinion was shaken by the deaths of Andrea Moretti, tragically lost at the Colosseum, and Mattia Battistetti.
Behind the memory of these tragedies lies the unyielding strength of the "fighting mothers"—extraordinary women who do not give up and stop at nothing to obtain justice for their children killed on the job. Among them, a symbolic role has been played by Monica Michelin (mother of Mattia, who died in 2021), who over all these years has waged an exhausting battle. It is thanks to her tenacity, and that of so many other courageous mothers, that such deep civil attention has grown in the country today. I personally wanted to pay tribute to these fighting mothers—who fight relentlessly—by dedicating a work of art to them, in everlasting memory of their grief transformed into struggle.
Andrea Moretti's sacrifice must not and will not be in vain: this tragedy opened Italians' eyes to how the cascade subcontracting mechanism—a rule introduced in October 2022 under Minister Salvini—proved to be a outright crime against worker protection. A "killer law" that has already killed nearly 300 workers between Lombardy and Veneto, both led by the Northern League (Lega) and ranking first and second for the number of deaths.
Attention surrounding the Colosseum case has been extraordinary: the Observatory's page and its related social channels (including its Facebook page) registered over one million views, proving how closely the community has rallied around this absurd tragedy.
Initial Institutional Signals and Further Dramas of Precarious Work
Following the Moretti case, an initial important step has been recorded: Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli reached an agreement with trade union organizations to abolish all subcontracts at the Colosseum—an initiative aimed at being extended to all buildings and spaces under the Ministry of Culture nationwide. This is a fundamental signal.
However, the trail of blood does not stop. Among the latest victims, we mourn Davide Di Scala, 38, who died after falling from a school roof while working for a company under precarious conditions: yet another confirmation of how aggressive outsourcing continues to reap victims.
A Historic Turning Point: Free Legal Aid for Victims of Workplace Accidents
In this scenario marked by enormous disparities—where economic counter-parties possess vast resources while victims' families often find themselves alone and lacking the necessary means to endure lengthy legal battles—comes a result of historic proportion.
The Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the bill granting state-funded legal aid to the families of victims, sponsored primarily by young MP Chiara Gribaudo, President of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Working Conditions. Gathering cross-party support from all political forces, this measure finally removes the financial barriers that blocked access to justice.
For the seriousness, competence, and extraordinary determination demonstrated over recent years—a 3-year effort from the opposition that, in practice, proved superior to the work of every minister who succeeded one another in the 19 years of monitoring by the Observatory—Chiara Gribaudo represents a clear point of reference. The "Campo Largo" coalition should have no hesitation: figures of this caliber, who combine competence and true activism alongside workers, are the ones who deserve to lead the Ministry of Labor.
Demands and Political Platform
Confronted with this picture, progressive forces and the entire Campo Largo must have the courage to openly take the side of workers, outlining a clear and uncompromising political program based on two pillars:
Restoration of Article 18 of the Workers' Statute for all new hires.
Total and definitive abolition of cascade subcontracting.
Only in this way can a real response be given to those who risk their lives every single day for bread and wage.
Carlo Soricelli
Curator of the Independent Observatory on Workplace Fatalities
During the first 10 months of 2026, the slaughter in Italian workplaces has never halted. The total toll stands at 1,265 workers deceased, 965 of whom died directly at their work sites. This represents a dramatic average of 4.16 workers dying per day: an unacceptable daily tragedy for a civilized country.
The Tragedies Shocking Public Opinion and the Strength of the "Fighting Mothers"
The month that just passed has been dramatic and has deeply marked the collective conscience. Public opinion was shaken by the deaths of Andrea Moretti, tragically lost at the Colosseum, and Mattia Battistetti.
Behind the memory of these tragedies lies the unyielding strength of the "fighting mothers"—extraordinary women who do not give up and stop at nothing to obtain justice for their children killed on the job. Among them, a symbolic role has been played by Monica Michelin (mother of Mattia, who died in 2021), who over all these years has waged an exhausting battle. It is thanks to her tenacity, and that of so many other courageous mothers, that such deep civil attention has grown in the country today. I personally wanted to pay tribute to these fighting mothers—who fight relentlessly—by dedicating a work of art to them, in everlasting memory of their grief transformed into struggle.
Andrea Moretti's sacrifice must not and will not be in vain: this tragedy opened Italians' eyes to how the cascade subcontracting mechanism—a rule introduced in October 2022 under Minister Salvini—proved to be a outright crime against worker protection. A "killer law" that has already killed nearly 300 workers between Lombardy and Veneto, both led by the Northern League (Lega) and ranking first and second for the number of deaths.
Attention surrounding the Colosseum case has been extraordinary: the Observatory's page and its related social channels (including its Facebook page) registered over one million views, proving how closely the community has rallied around this absurd tragedy.
Initial Institutional Signals and Further Dramas of Precarious Work
Following the Moretti case, an initial important step has been recorded: Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli reached an agreement with trade union organizations to abolish all subcontracts at the Colosseum—an initiative aimed at being extended to all buildings and spaces under the Ministry of Culture nationwide. This is a fundamental signal.
However, the trail of blood does not stop. Among the latest victims, we mourn Davide Di Scala, 38, who died after falling from a school roof while working for a company under precarious conditions: yet another confirmation of how aggressive outsourcing continues to reap victims.
A Historic Turning Point: Free Legal Aid for Victims of Workplace Accidents
In this scenario marked by enormous disparities—where economic counter-parties possess vast resources while victims' families often find themselves alone and lacking the necessary means to endure lengthy legal battles—comes a result of historic proportion.
The Chamber of Deputies unanimously approved the bill granting state-funded legal aid to the families of victims, sponsored primarily by young MP Chiara Gribaudo, President of the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Working Conditions. Gathering cross-party support from all political forces, this measure finally removes the financial barriers that blocked access to justice.
For the seriousness, competence, and extraordinary determination demonstrated over recent years—a 3-year effort from the opposition that, in practice, proved superior to the work of every minister who succeeded one another in the 19 years of monitoring by the Observatory—Chiara Gribaudo represents a clear point of reference. The "Campo Largo" coalition should have no hesitation: figures of this caliber, who combine competence and true activism alongside workers, are the ones who deserve to lead the Ministry of Labor.
Demands and Political Platform
Confronted with this picture, progressive forces and the entire Campo Largo must have the courage to openly take the side of workers, outlining a clear and uncompromising political program based on two pillars:
Restoration of Article 18 of the Workers' Statute for all new hires.
Total and definitive abolition of cascade subcontracting.
Only in this way can a real response be given to those who risk their lives every single day for bread and wage.
Carlo Soricelli
Curator of the Independent Observatory on Workplace Fatalities