Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
MESSINA – The judicial phase of the major investigation into the alleged exploitative conditions of riders employed in Messina by the MyLillo food delivery service is now in full swing. The preliminary investigations judge of the Messina Court, Alessia Smedile, has set the preliminary hearing for December 15, accepting the request made by deputy prosecutor Marco Accolla.
Three individuals, along with the company MyLillo itself, will appear in court. The company is charged with administrative liability for failing to adopt organizational models capable of preventing gangmaster-style crimes.
The defendants and the charges: 49 workers considered injured parties
The following will appear before the preliminary hearing judge:
- Gianluca Penna (36), legal representative and employer of MyLillo (defended by lawyer Salvatore Silvestro);
- Giuseppe Intelisano (29, defended by lawyer Filippo Pagano) and Silvio La Rosa (31, defended by lawyers Stefano Olivo and Nino Cacia), identified by investigators as direct collaborators and the material perpetrators of the unlawful conduct.
The main charge, alleged in concert, is illegal intermediation and labor exploitation (gangmaster-style), aggravated by the recruitment of more than three workers. Specifically, the investigations conducted by the Carabinieri Labor Inspectorate of Messina identified 49 riders (all listed as injured parties) subjected to degrading rhythms and treatments, exploiting their state of need.
According to the investigators’ findings up to last May, workers were paid less than half the minimum wages set by the National Collective Labor Agreement, despite oppressive hours and surveillance systems.
Lack of safety, missing helmets and zero training
The Prosecutor’s Office also charges legal representative Gianluca Penna with a series of serious violations regarding health and safety in the workplace.
Inspections revealed that the bicycle couriers were not subjected to the preventive medical examinations required by the health surveillance plan and did not receive essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): approved helmets, clothing to withstand adverse weather conditions, or suitable products for sanitizing the thermal bags used to transport food. The complete absence of training and instruction courses on job risks and safe scooter driving is also contested.
The body of evidence, supported by wiretaps, testimonies, and reports drawn up by the Carabinieri Inspectorate, will now be examined by the judge at the preliminary hearing.
