Sixteen months without pay: Desperation drives two workers to threaten to commit suicide at the famous San Remo song festival

Two workers of Consorzio di Bacino Napoli-Caserta, Antonio Sollazzo and Marino Marinucci, threatened to commit suicide during the opening speech of the San Remo Festival. The two occupied a high balcony in the theatre and demanded that the master of ceremonies read a letter they had written or they would throw themselves off. The two rescinded their threat when the presenter, Fabio Fazio, agreed to read the letter.
In the letter, the two workers describe how they and their 800 colleagues have worked for 16 months without pay, that this situation has driven three of their colleagues to suicide and for many has resulted the loss of the roof over their heads. The letter calls for the intervention of the central and local government to address their plight. The letter also apoligised for interrupting the proceedings but explained that their desperation drove them to it and that all they wanted was to be given back their dignity.