Italian union seeks safety reforms in textile sector

04 Dec '13

2 min read

The Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro (CGIL or the Italian General Confederation of Labour) has sought safety reform in the textile sector after a fire incident at a Chinese-owned factory killed seven people last week, in Prato town.

CGIL said Prato, which until a decade ago was known worldwide as a centre for production of ‘Made in Italy’ knitwear, has now become of the European sources for production and supply of fast fashion apparel.

The union said the town of Prato has the largest concentration of illegal employment in Europe, and the latest incident highlights the inhumane conditions in which many of them live.

Meanwhile, Italian government has launched an investigation into the fire incident that took place in the wee hours of December 1, 2013.

While the exact cause of the fire was not known, it seemed to have started from a kitchen area while the workers were sleeping.

According to the 2010 official data, Prato has about 17,000 legally documented Chinese nationals living in the city of population of about 200,000.

Roberto Cenni, the Mayor of Prato, said there were many other potential disasters in the waiting in the industrial zone around the town and he has urged Interior Minister Angelino Alfano to take steps to combat the illegal district that had grown up around the garment manufacturing units.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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