Cagliari's Councillor for Economic Development and Productive Sectors, Carlo Serra, has poured oil on the controversy after criticism from the Brothers of Italy party over the suspension of the porterage, goods handling and cold storage management services at the civic market in Via Quirra , which the opposition has described as the "death foretold " of the structure.
The Via Quirra market "is not in decline at all, but is on the verge of further revival," the councilor assures. "I am forced to deny the offensive and defamatory statements directed at the Via Quirra market and its workers," states Serra, who rejects the idea of improvised management or one that penalizes the operators. According to the councilor, the decision was reached after a shared process : over the past year and a half, the Markets Directorate has held numerous meetings with the Operators' Committee and, in particular, with the ten or so concessionaires—out of approximately 70 in total—who used the municipal porterage and cold storage services.
At those locations, Serra explains, the operators had expressed a "strong desire for greater autonomy in managing incoming goods," also based on the positive experience of the Is Bingias market. In full agreement with them, the Markets Directorate therefore decommissioned the old cold storage units, which were subject to frequent breakdowns and difficult to repair, allowing the operators to independently organize unloading operations with their own employees or appointed companies .
The operators , the councilor emphasizes, coordinated "with great synergy and timeliness," independently choosing a new company, different from the one that had been providing the service until January, which could have been confirmed anyway. The new management has been operational since February 2nd and, Serra assures, guarantees the same number of jobs. Regarding hygiene and sanitation conditions, Serra is categorical: "They are and will be guaranteed by highly professional operators who have the respect of the entire city." The councilor also praises the successful transition : already on the first day of the change of management, "the Market Management staff, present from 5:30 in the morning, were able to verify the perfect start of the service and the complete satisfaction of the operators," with unloading times even "faster" than in the past.
"It's difficult to understand the source of the concerns expressed in the question," Serra concludes, "but one thing is crystal clear: those raising these controversies likely haven't frequented the Via Quirra market for a long time." According to the councilor, these controversies only risk "instilling doubt and distrust" about a market he calls "a city excellence," in which the Administration will continue to invest. Hence, the final invitation to the questioners and the citizens: meet on February 14th at the Via Quirra market for the inauguration of the neighborhood photography exhibition "Ceci n'est pas Cagliari Ovest" (This Is Not Cagliari West) , "to see for yourself that the market is in great shape, offering quality and competitive prices."
