Saim Myrtaj. That is the name of the worker who died after a terrible fall from scaffolding at a building site in Rimini. A name that was read out this morning, Tuesday 6 October, in front of the Prefecture during a vigil organised by trade unions to once again demand greater workplace safety.
About thirty people gathered in Via IV Novembre carrying the flags of Cgil, Cisl and Uil. At the centre of the mobilisation was the tragedy that occurred on Monday in Via Coletti, in Rivabella, where Myrtaj fell while working on the construction of an apartment building.
The exact dynamics of the accident are still being examined by the relevant authorities. The worker was on the scaffolding when he fell and suffered extremely serious injuries. Emergency services responded immediately: paramedics from the 118 emergency service arrived on site, followed by a medical helicopter. After being stabilised, Myrtaj was rushed to the Bufalini Hospital in Cesena.
It was a race against time that, unfortunately, was not enough. The man’s condition was too severe, and he died as a result of the injuries sustained in the fall.
It will now be up to investigators to shed full light on what happened: the dynamics of the accident must be reconstructed, and compliance with safety conditions at the construction site must be verified.
Meanwhile, the unions’ response came already this morning. Cgil, Cisl and Uil stood united in front of the Prefecture to bring back into focus an issue that, after yet another victim, has tragically returned to the forefront. In announcing the vigil, Cgil had spoken of a “daily massacre in workplaces,” calling on workers and citizens to join the protest.
The mayor of Rimini, Jamil Sadegholvaad, also commented on Myrtaj’s death, expressing the city’s condolences and calling for clarity over what happened.
“I express my deepest condolences on behalf of the City for the death of the worker killed in an accident at a construction site in Via Coletti. This is a tragedy that wounds the entire community, and we trust that the competent authorities will quickly shed light on what occurred.”
The mayor went on to broaden his remarks to address the wider issue of fatal workplace accidents. “Regardless of the outcome of the investigation, the pain remains for a tragedy that is, unfortunately, only the latest in a seemingly endless series of so-called workplace deaths. It is an unacceptable scourge that can only be curbed through a collective assumption of responsibility among institutions, businesses and unions.”
Sadegholvaad also referred to the protocols signed by the Municipality in recent years, starting with the one signed in March with the unions on quality, legality and the protection of workers in municipal contracts and concessions, as well as the 2023 agreement with the Prefecture on prevention and safety in the construction sector.
However, the mayor stressed that more inspections, better tools for those responsible for oversight, and a change of pace in legislation are also needed. “Prevention, compliance with the rules, and inspections are essential to establishing a culture in which safety is not seen as a formality or a cost, but as the indispensable foundation of every working relationship. A single victim at work is one victim too many.”
