Italian unions say there is '70% to 100%' participation in Kering strike
High Participation in Kering Strike and Union Demands
ROME, May 20 (Reuters) - A strike at luxury group Kering's facilities in Italy was highly successful, with participation rates of 70% to 100%, the Filctem Cgil, Femca Cisl and Uiltec Uil trade unions said in a statement on Wednesday.
Reasons Behind the Strike
Workers' representatives called the one-day protest against 54 job cuts at the Alexander McQueen label, as well as against an alleged lack of clarity over the group's reorganisation plan known as "ReconKering".
Union Statements on Layoffs and Negotiations
"We are striking over the layoffs at Alexander McQueen, over the company's refusal to engage with union representatives to find solutions for the redeployment of workers or to make use of social safety net mechanisms, over CEO (Luca) de Meo's unwillingness to share the Group's reorganisation plan with the social partners, as well as with investors," the unions said.
Kering's Response to the Strike
Kering said the redundancies at McQueen were unavoidable and "consistent with ... the strategic review of its global operations, aimed at restoring the business to sustainable profitability over the next years".
Commitment to Social Dialogue
The company also said it had "always been committed to maintaining a sound and constructive social dialogue with its unions' representatives", and would next update unions on future strategy in early June.
Kering's Brand Portfolio
Kering's brands include Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Ginori 1735 and Roman Style (Brioni).
(Reporting by Gianluca Semeraro; Editing by Alvise Armellini and Alison Williams)
