Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original. Leggi l’originale in italiano
“Small businesses in the sector do not need to announce a stoppage: they have already stopped.” This is the sharp attack launched by CNA FITA Sicilia, which is intervening on the road haulage blockade announced starting at midnight on October 16, contesting the methods of the protest and, above all, the distribution of public resources allocated to the sector.
According to the organization, micro and small businesses are already paying a heavy price for the effects of the crisis and high fuel costs, without having the financial resources needed to continue operating. A situation that, in CNA FITA Sicilia’s view, risks worsening further if public interventions continue to favor large fleets above all.
CNA FITA Sicilia: “Enough Welfare for Big Fleets”
In the association’s crosshairs are the demands made by large fleets, initially through a committee and later via Confindustria Catania. Demands that CNA FITA Sicilia defines as legitimate and partly shareable, but which, according to the organization, do not represent the real needs of the majority of businesses in the sector.
“Their demands concern only a small part of the many micro-businesses in the sector, i.e., those truly struggling due to the high fuel cost crisis,” the association argues.
The criticism particularly concerns the use of public funds, with the risk that aid intended for larger companies could distort competition and further disadvantage smaller businesses, which base their operations primarily on labor and transport revenues.
Among the measures cited are the Sea Modal Shift and ETS-related contributions. According to CNA FITA Sicilia, the scale of the funding requested and expected by large fleets could allow them to charge rates that are unsustainable for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The Numbers of Sicilian Transport Companies
To support its position, CNA FITA Sicilia cites Movimprese data on the road transport and pipeline transport sectors.
According to the figures reported by the organization, out of a total of 8,822 companies, 6,195 are small and medium-sized enterprises, including 4,865 sole proprietorships.
It is precisely this segment, the association argues, that represents the true backbone of the sector and is now at risk of exiting the market without receiving the same attention given to initiatives by organizations representing the largest fleets.
“This is the true backbone of the sector, the part that today risks disappearing without any announcement and without any media coverage,” states CNA FITA Sicilia.
Fuel Crisis: Controversy Over the Allocation of €15 Million
Another central point in the position taken is the draft regional decree on fuel costs. CNA FITA Sicilia denounces what it sees as a possible imbalance in resource distribution, claiming that 80% of the €15 million available would go to a limited number of companies linked to large fleets, while the remaining 20% would be reserved for the majority of small and medium-sized enterprises.
The association also raises doubts about the relationships between the Sicilian Region and the various sector representative organizations, suggesting the existence of a privileged channel favoring a specific business component.
A situation that, according to CNA FITA Sicilia, requires greater transparency and resource allocation criteria capable of addressing the actual difficulties of businesses, without penalizing smaller ones.
The percentages and allocation methods mentioned by the association refer to the draft decree it is contesting.
Appeal to Prefects: Protect Those Not Joining the Stoppage
CNA FITA Sicilia announces it does not support the declared blockade and appeals to the island’s prefects to ensure the regular continuation of work for road haulage companies that do not intend to join the protest.
The organization believes the sector’s difficulties should be addressed through initiatives that involve the various business realities, avoiding actions that could impact the entire regional economic system.
For this reason, CNA FITA Sicilia says it is ready to organize, together with other craft associations sharing the same position, alternative forms of protest to bring the sector’s crisis and the issues with aid distribution to the attention of the institutions.
