Translated automatically by AI from the Italian original.
MESSINA – A formal state of unrest has now been declared by dozens of workers employed in outsourced services at the archaeological parks of Naxos and Taormina, Tindari and the Aeolian Islands. The declaration comes from Cgil Messina, Filcams Cgil and Fp Cgil in a union statement sent to the regional minister for Cultural Heritage Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, to the department’s leadership, to the directors of the bodies and to the concessionaires Aditus and Civita.
The protest centres on the approaching deadlines for the tender procedures to award cultural and reception services, after months of requests and formal reminders that have so far gone unanswered by the institutions.
The tender issue and alarm over the national contract
According to the unions, the process for the new contracts is marred by a serious lack of transparency—compounded by the administration’s refusal to release the legal opinion on the national collective agreements applied (note no. 3315 of 24 June 2026)—and by the very real risk that the next awards will adopt a National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) that is different and less protective than the current one, with heavy economic and regulatory consequences for staff.
Taking note of the recent decree (D.A. no. 52/GAB of 9 November 2026) appointing the new director of the Naxos and Taormina Archaeological Park, Adriana Pizzino, the unions are now calling for the immediate opening of a round-table discussion:
“It is unacceptable that for months we have been asking for an institutional dialogue and have even been denied access to the documents on the legal opinions concerning the contract to be applied in the new tenders,” said Stefania Radici of the Cgil Messina confederation secretariat. “The key issue is contractual equivalence: we will not allow a race to the bottom on the backs of workers by replacing the current agreement with a worse one. The appointment of the new director at the Naxos Park must immediately lead to the opening of a transparent table to safeguard the wage levels and the professionalism developed over these years.”
“Without job security, the tourism system risks grinding to a halt”
The unions also criticise the media attention given to cultural heritage only during emergencies or news stories, forgetting those who daily ensure the opening and enjoyment of the sites that symbolise the province of Messina:
- The impact on the tourism sector: “There is endless talk about culture and protecting our heritage only when management scandals or media cases erupt, such as those involving the Regional Museum of Messina. But culture lives thanks to those who, every day, welcome visitors to Taormina, Giardini Naxos, Tindari and the Aeolian Islands,” said Damiano Di Giovanni of Filcams Cgil Messina. “Our national campaign ‘No tourism without us’ is not a slogan, but a concrete reality: these workers have no certainty about their future as the new tenders approach. Without respect for their rights and without job continuity, the entire tourism and cultural system in the area is doomed to stop.”
- The quality of public service: “We are talking about a sector of primary public interest and sites that are Sicily’s calling card to the world,” stressed Elena De Pasquale of Fp Cgil Messina. “The quality of the cultural services offered to the public goes hand in hand with the protection and economic recognition of those who work in them. Union dialogue is not a tiresome bureaucratic formality, but an indispensable tool of democracy and transparency. We are declaring a state of unrest because those running these processes must immediately take responsibility for guaranteeing the future of these people.”
While awaiting an urgent summons from the regional ministry and the relevant directors, Cgil, Filcams and Fp Messina warn that, if concrete answers are not forthcoming soon, all necessary mobilisation initiatives will be taken to protect the workers.
