MILAN — All employees of Kering Italia will stage a four-hour strike and demonstrations in Milan and Scandicci, near Florence, on Tuesday, said unions Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl, and Uiltec Uil.
The action will affect staff at the French group’s brands including Gucci, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Ginori 1735, Bottega Veneta and Kering Italia.
In a statement, the unions jointly lamented Kering Italia’s “preconceived unwillingness to engage in dialogue,” and its “rigidity,” as well as the “unilateral decisions” made by the group, “moving backward industrial relations, union agreements and the rights of workers.”
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Asked to comment, Kering Italia clarified that the strike is over the issue of remote working. The group in Italy has decided to cut remote working from two to one day a week.
“Originally expected to expire in December 2024, the agreement between the company and the unions allowed eight remote working days per month,” read a Kering Italia statement issued Monday.
In November last year, Kering Italia communicated the intention to reduce that number to four days a month, “in line with the global group’s strategy aiming to promote cohesion, professional collaboration and development, consistently with the approach of many companies in the sector.”
The agreement was extended until May 2025 and then until Sept. 30, the statement continued. “The implementation of the new remote working policy started in October. Kering Italia continues to recognize the importance of flexibility to support individual needs, yet on the basis of a different policy which is seen as necessary to guarantee company priorities and the correct collaboration dynamics within its organization.”
Led by newly installed chief executive officer Luca de Meo, Kering is aiming to reverse its declining sales and a net debt that at the end of June amounted to 9.5 billion euros. As reported, the French group and L’Oréal are forming a long-term strategic partnership in beauty and wellness.
The binding agreement encompasses the acquisition of the House of Creed by L’Oréal, and gives L’Oréal the rights to enter into a 50-year exclusive license for the creation, development and distribution of fragrance and beauty products for Gucci, commencing after the expiration of Kering’s current license with Coty for that business. The partnership will also include 50-year exclusive licenses for Bottega Veneta and Balenciaga, which will start at the close of the transaction.
The agreement is valued at 4 billion euros, payable in cash at the closing, which is expected to take place in the first half of 2026. L’Oréal will also pay royalties to Kering for the use of its licensed brands.
