Italy has moved to crack down on the widespread exploitation of farm workers with tough new penalties for abuses to which immigrants from Africa and South Asia are particularly vulnerable. A law approved by parliament late Tuesday provides for mandatory prison terms, fines and asset seizures for farm owners and intermediaries involved in illegal practices that can result in casual workers taking home little more than a euro (dollar) an hour for backbreaking work.
The new legislation was hailed as a "major step forward" by trade unions, who say some some 430,000 agricultural workers are subject to extreme exploitation across the country. Under the so-called "caporalato" system, fruit pickers and other seasonal workers are typically recruited, organised and paid by an intermediary, enabling the real employers to sidestep payroll taxes. A daily rate of between 22 and 30 euros for a 10-12 hour day - less than half the legal minimum - has reportedly become the norm across much of the sector.