Seventy years ago, on August 8, 1956, Marcinelle entered forever into the collective memory of our country and Europe.<\/p>\n
In the Bois du Cazier pit, 262 workers of twelve nationalities lost their lives, 136 of whom were Italian. Today we remember them one by one. Behind those numbers were names, faces, families, hopes. Men who left to build, through work, a better future for their children and to contribute to the rebirth of Italy.<\/p>\n
This day also belongs to those who remained: to the widows, the orphans, and the communities who transformed immense pain into the strength of memory and the courage to move forward. From them we learned the truest meaning of dignity: that of those who left their homeland to work and that of those who, for seventy years, have preserved and passed on their memory.<\/p>\n
This is why since 2001, at the initiative of the Berlusconi government, August 8th has been the National Day of Sacrifice of Italian Labor Worldwide.<\/p>\n
Marcinelle is an Italian tragedy, but also a profoundly European one. From that pain also grew the awareness that Europe should be not only an economic space, but a community of rights, solidarity, and protection of the individual.<\/p>\n
I worked in Brussels, together with the entire Government, to make August 8th the European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Work. This is an initiative I strongly supported and which will soon become a reality. In this European spirit, I intend to make another visit to Marcinelle in the coming months, together with<\/p>\n
the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Remembrance must translate into responsibility and action. Our Constitution founds the Republic on work, recognizes every citizen’s right to work, and reminds everyone of the duty to contribute to the progress of society. Every life lost at work strikes at one of the very foundations of our democracy.<\/p>\n
No economic result can be worth a human life. The safety of those who work is the primary measure of a country’s civilization. We need prevention, training, clear rules, rigorous controls, and shared responsibility among institutions, businesses, and workers.<\/p>\n
Seventy years later, Italy stands united around Marcinelle. We do so to pay tribute to the victims, to express our closeness to their families, and to renew our gratitude to the millions of compatriots who, with their work, skills, and sacrifice, continue to bring prestige to our country around the world every day.<\/p>\n
Preserving the memory of Marcinelle means transforming it into responsibility. It means defending the dignity of work everywhere, strengthening the culture of safety, and working to ensure that no one should ever lose their life again while building their future and that of their family.<\/p>\n
This is the commitment we make before the fallen of Marcinelle and to all Italians around the world: no more deaths at work.<\/p>\n
Honor to the fallen of Marcinelle. Long live Italy, long live Italians abroad, long live Europe!<\/p>\n