The recent news from Palermo deeply shakes us. Two men, Daniluc Tiberi Un Mihai and Najahi Jaleleddine, lost their lives while working in a tenth-floor apartment of a building. The tragedy occurred when they fell from the basket of a crane. Preliminary investigations, corroborated by family testimonies, suggest that both were working without a regular contract and without being enrolled in construction protection funds. This painful episode invites us to serious reflection on the value of work and the dignity of every person.
Undeclared Work: A Shadow Over Society
The issue of irregular work is not merely economic or legal; it touches the very heart of our Christian vision of the human person. When a worker is employed "under the table," they are deprived not only of contractual rights but of their very dignity. They are reduced to a resource to be exploited, rather than recognized as a being created in the image and likeness of God. David Mosseri, general director of the National Association of Maimed and Disabled Workers (Anmil), strongly emphasizes this connection: unfair practices and dishonest agreements create a system where insecurity becomes the norm, and the worker finds themselves unable to say those "nos" that could save their life.
The problem, as highlighted, is not limited to completely undeclared work. There exists a vast "gray" area, particularly in sectors like contracting, where formal regularity hides conditions of underemployment, professional de-skilling, and absence of adequate protections. Even workers over 65, due to shortcomings in the social security system, find themselves forced to perform dangerous tasks, like climbing scaffolding, risking their own safety.
God's Word on Work and Justice
Sacred Scripture offers a solid foundation for understanding the dignity of work and duties toward the worker. It is not a marginal issue but central in the revelation of a God who is just and merciful.
"Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. Do not hold back the wages of a hired worker overnight." (Leviticus 19:13, NIV)
This Old Testament commandment establishes a clear principle: justice toward the worker is immediate and admits no delay. Withholding just wages is equated with oppression.
"And masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him." (Ephesians 6:9, NIV)
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, reminds "masters" (today we would say employers, entrepreneurs, contractors) that there is a common Lord for them and for workers. Before Him there is no favoritism. Authority in the workplace is not a license for arbitrariness but a responsibility to be exercised in justice and fear of the Lord.
The book of Sirach is even more explicit in linking the treatment of the worker to our relationship with God:
"To deprive an employee of wages is to commit murder. To deny your neighbor what is owed is to shed blood." (Sirach 34:21-22, NRSV)
These words have a prophetic harshness. Depriving a worker of their just wage is not an administrative offense; it is compared to an action that harms life itself. In a context of undeclared or "gray" work, where protections are absent and risks are very high, this lack of secure "sustenance" can literally translate into loss of human lives, as we have unfortunately seen.
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