A trade unionist has demanded a crackdown on “barbaric exploitation” following the death of an Indian agricultural worker in Italy. The worker, identified as Satnam Singh, died after being abandoned on a road following an accident that left him with a severed arm.
Singh, 31, sustained injuries while performing maintenance on farm equipment in Latina, a rural region near Rome, on Monday. He had emigrated to Italy three years ago with his spouse. According to reports, Singh’s arm was amputated on the street outside his Borgo Santa Maria residence. His wife alerted the police, who dispatched an air ambulance to take him to the San Camillo Forlalini hospital in Rome. However, he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
Singh’s Italian company is currently under investigation for neglecting to provide assistance, violating industrial safety rules, and manslaughter. Initial investigations revealed that Singh was operating a plastic roller wrapping machine connected to a tractor at the time of the accident.
Italy’s labor minister, Marina Calderone, condemned the incident as a “true act of barbarity” and expressed hope that those responsible would be held accountable. “The Indian agricultural worker who suffered a serious accident in the countryside of Latina and was abandoned in very serious conditions … has died,” she told parliament.
Agriculture minister Francesco Lollobrigida stated that Giorgia Meloni’s government was “on the frontline … to fight against all forms of labour exploitation”. He added: “This is a tragedy which mustn’t leave us indifferent and on which full light must be shed.”
The centre-left Democratic party (PD) condemned the man’s treatment as a “defeat for civilization”, urging the government to take action against the so-called “agro-mafias” that run migrant laboring rackets. The incident has sparked outrage and calls for stronger measures to combat labor exploitation in Italy.
