Kering workers in Italy to strike over ‘unilateral decisions’ by the company

Workers at Italian units of French luxury group Kering will stage a four-hour strike on Tuesday, unions said, citing what they said was the company’s unwillingness to engage in dialogue over issues such as remote working.

The action will affect staff at Kering brands including Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, with demonstrations planned in Milan and Scandicci, a town close to Florence.

Kering is dealing with a slump in sales and high debt and it agreed on Monday to sell its beauty business to L’Oreal .

Italian unions Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Uiltec Uil said recent talks with Kering’s representatives showed a “preconceived closure to dialogue”, accusing the group of unilateral decisions that risk weakening labour relations and workers’ rights.

One example was the company’s decision to limit remote work, according to Filctem Cgil union representative Massimo Bollini.

“But beyond this specific case, what’s changing is the approach – decisions are presented as final and non-negotiable,” he told Reuters.

Kering Italia said it informed unions last November of its plan to halve monthly remote work days from eight to four, in line with the group’s global strategy.

The previous agreement was extended until September to allow for dialogue and the new policy took effect in October.