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Between exploitation and protest: migrants and the agricultural gangmaster system in Southern Italy

Abstract

This article describes the features and the origin of the gangmaster system (a form of illicit mediation to labour contracting, also called 'caporalato') in Southern Italy, how it has changed when migrant became the main workforce in agriculture, the way it leads to the exploitation of workers, and the reaction of foreign workers against this system.We provide two examples of how workers dealt with caporalato in Puglia: in the first case, the province of Foggia, migrants were not able to organize to protest against the caporals; in the second case, Nardò, they started a strike that gave this phenomenon national visibility.

Keywords
Gangmaster system; Southern Italy; Migrant seasonal workers; Mobilization

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