Jobs “on the edge” in the days of COVID-19 (Circus workers, Pushers, Luna Park workers and Prostitutes)
In “Covid-19 Days” there were professions that suffered more than others. These are those professions that are “accepted or tolerated” in our society, but on the edge of “common collective thinking” and not covered by legislation. This is the reason why they have been excluded from any kind of state aid.
Drug dealers
“Peddling in these times of Corona Virus has become really difficult. The drug doesn’t come, you can’t get it. You can’t bring it to customers and customers can’t pick it up. We are without money, as well as completely in withdrawal symptoms. We don’t know how long we can resist. There is no money. We will have to start stealing. There is no work. We can’t starve. ” Emiliano, Filippo, Nuccio and Angelo are small drug dealers in Milano hinterland.
Circus workers
The Moira Orfei circus has been standing on the square of the Shopping Center Laghi in Gallarate for 50 days now. The last show was done on Saturday 15 February. During the night, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte decreed the lockdown in Lombardy. The tents were dismantled but neither humans nor animals were able to move. The funds set aside for the tour ran out about 15 days after the stop at the shows and now neither men nor animals have anything to eat and do not know what will happen in the coming months. The solidarity of the neighbors and the municipality of Gallarate helps them to survive but their future prospect is not good at all ..
“It will take months for Italy to start again in its basic structures, we can’t imagine when people will stop being afraid to go to a public place, to a show …” Gianfranco Felicioli, spokesman for the company tells me. “At the moment we are stuck here, we respect the lockdown, we take care of our animals and we cross our fingers … the circus performers are strong people … we will do it again, even if this time will be really hard …”. GIANFRANCO FELICIOLI mob. 333 9132119
Sex workers
Prostitution in Italy is not illegal (while its exploitation is illegal), but it is not recognized as a job and therefore sex workers have no access to any form of income support. Not all of them are in the same situation: aware prostitutes, men and women who have chosen to sell sex independently and autonomously, usually because it is very profitable, can often afford not to work because they have money aside. Women exploited by organized crime are in much worse condition. Also because they are often undocumented immigrants who have difficult access to healthcare, too.
Luna Park Workers
“Luna Park Schiranna” works like any other Luna Park. The organizing committee, made up of a few operators, arrives first in the municipality that will host the event and takes care of asking for the necessary permits, security, traffic conditions. On the set date, all the operators arrive and place the rides. A short time later the Luna Park opens. Each carousel belongs to an operator with a VAT number, and of that carousel lives and works all his family, usually consisting of 3/4 people including children. In Italy there are 7,500 licenses for a total of 15,000 families and 40,000 people. Many of these people are stuck in the places where they were on February 15th, they cannot work and cannot go home. In some cases they are forced to pay for the occupation of the land on which they had to stop. Vincenzo La Scala (SNISV general secretary – mob tells me. 335 5347335), currently stuck in Varese
Schiranna, where he had arrived early of the opening of the Luna Park to deal with the organizational issues tells me: “We come from winter, a period of downtime for our activities. We have been standing for 50 days and with no prospect of restarting. We cannot travel with the means to go home. We have to pay for the occupation of the land and the utilities of the places where we are. We are ruined. And we feel abandoned by the institutions. To start again we will need several thousand euros each: to renew the insurance and put the vehicles back on the road, for everything … In Germany the operators of the category “Traveling Shows” receive from the state 5,000 euros per month and if they have 2 employees 9,000 euros. The state has promised us 600 euros per license … We will never be able to get out of this disaster if something will not change. “
