A Worker’s life in a blind society

A Worker’s life in a blind society

Belarmino Dabalos Saguing

email: bdsaguing@gmail.com

Mobile: +39 3356880613,

We are speaking about a worker in any country dominated by a society insensible to the rights of workers despite their hypocratic declarations of ‘justice, equality and brotherhood’ among men. This is a true story, retold from a news seen on TV telecast.

Isabella was an Italian working woman with children and an invalid husband. Her husband Vito used to work casually in a construction company without a contract. He met an accident in the course of his work in a jobsite. And because he is doing irregular work, he is therefore without insurance and has to pay for his hospitalization. His employers agreed to shoulder part of the costs of his medications to escape subsequent legal processes. Vito lost the use of his right leg and remained permanently unfit for any job.

The family has to live, and Isabella found a job cleaning stairways and landings of condominium. Her employers made her work full day from Monday to Saturday and half-day on Sundays, and refused to sign a contract with her. For her fatigues, she was given a salary of €950.00. It is not much, (the minimum salary for a decent living recognized in Italy is €1,250.00), but living parsimoniously, it could weather them for a month.

So, like her husband, she was without rights a workers must be entitled to: social security, accident and life insurance, sick leaves, etc. These arrangements continued for about four years. Isabella’s health finally deteriorated for overworking, lack of proper rests and she developed a cardiac ailment. She refused to give up working and continue working for some more months. A month ago, she kissed her husband goodbye, tiptoed out so as not to wake her still sleeping children and went away.

I the afternoon of the same day, Vito received a call from the police informing him that his wife Isabella have had a cardiac arrest that morning and was taken to a hospital by passersby. She died sitting on a bench while awaiting to be attended by the doctors in the emergency room.

Italy has very strict laws against irregular workers. They enforce the law without exceptions. But they are lax in enforcing the same law against erring employers who take advantage of the workers. Except for a fine, her employers got away with it.

In this country, this is the common plight of workers, migrants or locals. The struggles of migrant workers is the struggle of all workers. Many migrant workers are still ignorant of their rights and must be educated along with the locals. They are all victims of an insensible society.

Together, all workers must unite and fight for their rights and welfare.

LONG LIVE THE UNITY OF ALL WORKERS !!!