The 25-year-old Italian truck driver who ran over and killed a trade unionist in Biandrate this morning was arrested on charges of road murder and resistance.
He was called Adil Belakhdim and was the coordinator of the Si Cobas of Novara the young 37-year-old, an Italian citizen of Moroccan origin, and died hit by a truck in front of the gates of the Lidl of Biandrate, in the Novara area. It happened in via Guido il Grande, during a demonstration of logistics workers. The driver who ran over him then fled. To block him on the highway were the carabinieri who took him to the barracks to collect his version. 118 also intervened on the spot, but for the 37-year-old there was nothing to do. The reactions of the leaders of politics and the trade union were painful and harsh. President Mario Draghi from Barcelona where he participates in the Cercle d’economy event, asks that “clarity be made immediately”.
Trade unionist killed in Novara, Mario Draghi: “Let’s shed light on what happened immediately”
The dynamics
According to the reconstruction of the witnesses, the trade unionist was guarding the gates where the union garrison had been organized together with about twenty demonstrators, when he was overwhelmed by the truck. First dragged for a while, then left lifeless on the asphalt. “That truck dragged him for about twenty meters, the driver cannot fail to notice”: say the workers who witnessed the accident. The truck also hit two other protesters, injuring them, who are now in hospital but are not in serious condition.
The testimonials
At the origin of the tragedy there would have been a quarrel between the truck driver and the workers protesting in front of the gate and blocking the passage. According to Attilio Fasulo, general secretary of the CGIL of Novara, who is at the place of the unionist’s death, “the workers present spoke of a discussion because the truck driver wanted to enter at all costs”. Again according to the testimonies collected, the trade unionist was overwhelmed and dragged for about ten meters, up to the height of the pedestrian crossing: in fact, in the first minutes he had imagined that he was crossing the street.
The victim
Adil Belakhdim was the representative of the Yes Cobas and father of two children. His brother rushed to the scene and there were some moments of tension. “You killed him, he said” while the other workers tried to calm him down.
Moments of tension at Biandrate’s Lidl
Also there CGIL has declared the strike and the workers are blocking all exits of the warehouse. “There was a lot of tension in this period – explains Attilio Fasulo – The union discussion on many issues was underway. Filcams CGIL asked for better working conditions starting from the recognition of some levels that were not recognized to workers”.
Adil Belakhdim, the trade unionist who died defending workers and their rights
by Carlotta Rocci
The Si Cobas had organized a demonstration attended by about twenty people in front of one of the entrances to the Lidl warehouse where about 300 employees work, most of them of foreign origin. “We had repeatedly pointed out to the company that failure to resolve these issues would lead to an exasperation of tone. Now we will investigate the dynamics but it was possible to avoid creating such a situation ”.
Death of the trade unionist, slap to the head of security on live TV
The arrest of the driver
After being stopped by the carabinieri at the parking area, the driver was taken to the barracks and heard for a few hours. Finally he was arrested, at the moment with
the charges of street murder and resistance.
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