A cowardly attack, with kicks and punches in the face and in the side against a trade unionist. The condemnation of what happened to Giuseppe “Peppe” De Francesco, regional secretary of the Fim Cisl, victim of an ambush a few steps from the trade union headquarters in via Strettola in Sant’Anna alle Paludi, is unanimous in Naples, who brings the hands of time back of years. “He was coming to the office, I heard screams, and so I went down to the street and saw that De Francesco had been attacked – reports to Ansa Raffaele Apetino, general secretary of Fim Cisl Campania – he was hit from behind by two strangers, it seems with covered face. The attackers have not said anything, nor has De Francesco received threats in recent days as far as I know. It is a cowardly act ». An ambulance took the trade unionist to the hospital of the Sea where he received the necessary treatment: for him, who was discharged in the afternoon, seven days of prognosis for the injuries sustained. Unanimous condemnation.
Starting with the CISL which has tightened around its exponent. The general secretary, Luigi Sbarra, defines the attack as “serious and disconcerting” and expresses solidarity with the trade unionist. The secretary of the CISL Campania Doriana Buonavita echoes him in a note: “We strongly condemn – he observes – these attacks against those who are committed every day to defend work, health and safety”. For the Fim Cisl secretary general, Roberto Benaglia, “the serious beating against our regional secretary Peppe Di Francesco constitutes a very serious physical intimidation to one of the clearest and most capable trade unionists we have in the Campania region”. “A cowardly act – he adds – that we strongly condemn and that intends to create a climate of fear of violence in an area where we need more trade unions”.
Politics also tightens around the trade unionist in a bipartisan way: “Firm condemnation for the cowardly aggression that took place this morning against the Fim Cisl regional secretary Giuseppe De Francesco” was expressed, on behalf of the entire municipal administration of Naples, by the Labor councilor, Chiara Marciani. Along the same lines, the coordinator of the metropolitan city of Naples of the Lega, Severino Nappi and the leader of the opposition in the Regional Council, Stefano Caldoro. A certificate also comes from the world of entrepreneurship with the message of the president of the Industrial Union of Naples, Maurizio Manfellotto: “Violence and intimidation – he underlines – will not be able to prevail over the strength of ideas and confrontation, fundamental for building development paths for the territory and to guarantee the protection of business and work assets, which constitute the backbone of the local economy “. On the episode – full of gray areas – police investigations are underway to trace the perpetrators.