A union representative claims the company used an office relocation to effectively lay workers off.
Gucci employees aren’t so keen on the brand’s next steps.
In October, the Italian luxury house announced plans to move 153 of its 219 design employees from Rome to Milan. A number of them gathered outside of the brand’s Rome offices on Monday to take part in a four-hour strike that marked the first industrial action taken by professionals at Gucci in its 102-year history. (Reports vary on the size of the group in the demonstration, with The Guardian reporting its size at nearly 50, while other sources claimed the group was closer to 30.) But their motivations were the same: the group claimed the move is a “mass redundancy in disguise.”
The workers carried signs saying “At Gucci, redundancy is fashionable” and “Gucci cuts but doesn’t sew” during the strike. Chiara Giannotti, a union representative, claims Kering (the brand’s parent company) was taking advantage of the restructuring to reduce staff. She also speculates it is a way to push out employees who were “offered unsatisfactory conditions” or unable to leave the capital due to family obligations.
A Gucci spokesperson told the newspaper that the relocation did “not envisage any reduction in personnel” and would be “implemented in full compliance with current regulations.” The brand also added that it has provided economic and support measures for affected staff. In another statement, it claims Sabato de Sarno, the brand’s recently installed creative director, and associated teams were making the move in order to “work closely with the brand’s strategic functions” already based in Milan.
Still, the union has demanded that the company reconsider its decision. “For us, this is a collective dismissal because not everyone has been offered the conditions to allow for a transfer, so many people will lose their jobs,” says Federica Ricci, regional secretary of the Flictem-Cgil union, in a statement. The 66 other employees who will remain in Rome are expected to continue working with Gucci. Ultimately, the union is demanding equal conditions as workers are transferred to Milan or moved to other Kering brands in Italy.
Founded in 1921 by Guccio Gucci in Florence, Gucci is known globally for its high-end offerings ranging from apparel to décor and jewelry. The brand’s familial drama has spawned flicks like Ridley Scott’s House of Gucci and Apple TV+’s Lady Gucci. Its latest role changes also sparked headlines when Alessandro Michele stepped down as its creative director in November 2022. De Sarno was later appointed the House’s artistic director at the beginning of 2023.
Source : Robb Report
