(Refiles, fixing sub-headline)
The UIL and CGIL trade unions marched
in Bologna on Thursday to demand action on health and safety
after this week's explosion at Enel Green Power's Bargi
hydroelectric plant on Lake Suviana near the Emilian capital, as
the death toll rise to five, with two others missing, feared
dead.
The disaster, in which five other people were injured, is the
latest in a long series of deadly workplace accidents in Italy.
Police said at least 1,500 people took part in the
demonstration, marching behind a banner that read "Enough Now".
The unions' members are also striking for eight hours in Emilia
Romagna on Thursday, doubling the length of an already-planned
nationwide general strike that is especially affecting public
transport.
Firefighters said on Wednesday that there was little hope of
finding the missing people alive.
At the time four people were still unaccounted for, but fire
brigade divers identified the location of two bodies on
Thursday.
The divers had not yet been able to extract those corpse,
sources said.
Investigators have opened a probe into alleged culpable homicide
and culpable disaster.
Bologna Chief Prosecutor Giuseppe Amato said the probe would
look into "procurement and subcontracting", an issue the unions
say is a major factor.
"These are sub-contract deaths," said Bologna CGIL Secretary
Michele Bulgarelli.
"It is a day of anger because, after the shock, I think that
yesterday's statement and press conference by Enel Green Power
was absurd, unacceptable and unworthy of a civilised country.
"The offloading of responsibility in the procurement chain sees
it list three or four (contractor) companies.
"But up to today we have no official information about which
companies employed the employees (involved)".
Enel Green Power CEO Salvatore Bernabei stated that "we do not
deserve this kind of statement" and that "there is no
subcontracting chain".
On Wednesday he had said that top companies had been chosen for
the work being done at the plant.
"In order to carry out this technological upgrade of supply,
assembly and testing (operations), we had chosen the best
companies in the field of electricity and hydroelectricity:
Siemens, Abb, Voith," Bernabei said.
"When I turn to a contractor, that contractor is synonymous with
prestige and seriousness.
"You have to ask the contractors (about the work subcontracted
out), who, in turn, can turn to other specialists, because the
work we are doing here is work that can only be done by
specialists".
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