Nine workers found without contracts in a vineyard of the small Tuscan denomination. The operation by the Carabinieri and the Inspectorate is part of a plan of checks on agricultural labor in areas where the harvest is made more difficult by the steepness of the vineyards.
During a joint inspection, the Carabinieri Labor Inspectorate Unit of Massa Carrara and the Territorial Inspectorate of Lucca – Massa Carrara discovered nine workers employed “under the table,” without contracts, in a vineyard in Romagnano, in the Municipality of Massa, Tuscany. The operation was coordinated by Director Anna Maria Venezia.
The inspection staff identified the manual grape harvesters along the hills of the Candia dei Colli Apuani Doc. After stopping several attempts to flee through the rows, the officers established that one worker was an Italian national and eight were from Romania. None of them had a regular employment contract.
FINES TOTALING 35,100 EUROS
The checks revealed that the agreed pay amounted to 50 euros per day. The owner of the farm was issued administrative fines totaling 35,100 euros. The operation is part of a broader plan of inspections on agricultural labor. Inspection activities include both document reviews and targeted site visits.
FOCUS ON THE “HEROIC” VINEYARDS OF CANDIA DEI COLLI APUANI
Particular attention is being paid to the hilly areas of Candia, where the harvest is defined as “heroic.” The terrain’s layout (as seen in the article’s illustrative cover photo) makes the use of machinery impossible, requiring the exclusive use of manual labor. The goal of the inspections is to combat irregular labor, protect workers’ rights, and ensure fair competition in the agricultural sector.
The slopes of the vineyards in the Candia dei Colli Apuani Doc area often exceed 30%, with steep terrain that makes cultivation complex and requires the use of terraces for management. These conditions demand skilled labor and constant attention in the daily care of a difficult territory, which is essential for the production of this Tuscan denomination’s wines.
