Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani paid tribute to the memory of the Italian nationals who lost their lives on 8 August 68 years ago in Marcinelle, Belgium.
“The anniversary of this tragedy keeps alive and topical the memory of the extraordinary contribution made by our communities to the prosperity of their host countries as well as their efforts to achieve integration through work,” said Deputy Prime Minister Tajani. “I support CNEL President Renato Brunetta’s proposal to flank the ‘National Day of the Sacrifice of Italian Workers in the World’, established by the Italian Government in 2001, with a European Day to promote key work and safety issues in the memory of the Marcinelle tragedy. I will work together with the Italian delegation to the European Parliament to build the broadest consensus around this initiative.”
On that dreadful day of 1956, in the Bois du Cazier coal mine, 262 miners from 12 different countries lost their lives, including 136 Italians.
