SPLASH is not just furniture: but a moment of conviviality where one can reflect on precariousness, silent deaths and exploitation for the profit of others. The table, built with rough bricks, is a tribute to the toil of those who work without rights, while the carpet, which simulates a blood stain, reminds us every day that behind every work there is a price that someone pays with their life. Sit down, are you ready to listen?
1.500,00 €
Live to work or work to live
The precariousness of work on construction sites is a reality that is intertwined with the conditions of exploitation, insecurity and indifference that characterize the sector. Thousands of workers, both Italian and foreign, forced to face unacceptable conditions. Often employed on precarious or even undeclared contracts, these workers live under the constant blackmail of miserable wages, without guarantees of stability or protection. The uncertainty of a fixed-term contract, combined with a lack of adequate training and little attention to safety, increases the risk of accidents. Every year, hundreds of workers lose their lives on construction sites, an average of four people a day, but often the tragedy goes unnoticed until a mass tragedy occurs.
The victims of these injustices are almost always the most vulnerable people: undocumented workers, migrants without rights, or Italians who do not dare to protest for fear of losing their jobs. On construction sites, safety culture is a luxury few can afford, and abuse by employers is the norm. The system of subcontracting and irregular contracts allows companies to reduce costs, placing the risk and responsibility on the shoulders of workers.
The reality is that in many cases there is not even time to learn safety measures: workers are brought in without any training, without knowing how to protect themselves. Complaints are rare, and the inhumane conditions accepted are too many. A picture that, unfortunately, repeats itself day after day, with few people worrying about addressing the problem in its entirety. The existing laws are not enough to stop the abuse, and every now and then the chorus of denunciation rises, but without any concrete change.
The solutions to counter this phenomenon involve a radical revision of labor policies, the introduction of more severe measures against undeclared work and a true culture of safety. The fight for safe and fair work can no longer wait; every life sacrificed on construction sites is a defeat for the whole society.
