Fire Services Press Release: USB Trade Union denounces the deployment of firemen on temporary contracts to restructure the Lampedusa CIE (Immigration Detention Centre)
Drafting of reform bill for the system of rescue for
the population. Last month, the Departmental Head of the National Body of
Firemen, the Prefect Paolo Francesco Tronco arranged for 15 firemen on
temporary contracts to be sent to Lampedusa to restructure the buildings which
are to become part of the CIE. Servicemen from Rome were sent under the Order l’Ordine del Giorno N. 118 27/04/2012
signed by the Provincial Commandant, the Engineer Gaddini. They were
transferred to Lampedusa with the National Body’s aircraft, at the cost of
approximately €30 thousand.
The USB Trade Union for Firemen consider this to be
an appalling and damaging decision with regard to the dignity of both the employees
involved and for the organisation as a whole: firemen must be employed
exclusively in rescue situations and in no way for unskilled jobs such as the
restructuring of buildings which, moreover, will be used as Immigrant Detention
Centres.
Furthermore, following the cuts which have hit the
fire service on all fronts- from rescue equipment to
an increase in unpaid debts to their suppliers; from work contracts to pensions
and indemnity- even those on temporary contracts this year have seen a 50% cut
to their claims, with a further reduction on rescue equipment for the
population.
The Firemen’s Trade Union, confirming that
protecting the public can no longer be managed in such a way, is drafting a
reform bill, which was launched at the convention in Grosseto on the 27th April. The bill includes
a government department to deal with technical emergencies, public safety and
the Civil Protection, with the National Body of Firemen as its central fulcrum. Only in this way will it be possible to create a structure with emergency and safety specialists.
Rome, 3 May 2012
