A few dozen Gucci employees in Rome went on strike on Monday in protest of the company’s intention to relocate its design headquarters from the Italian capital to Milan.
The company informed unions in October that it planned to relocate 153 of 219 employees to Milan, over 500 kilometers (311 miles) to the north, by March.
Labor union CGIL’s regional office said Gucci’s decision was not supported by objective reasons, making it hard not to think the real goal was to cut staff.
According to Reuters, the transfer “does not involve any staff reductions.”
“With the relocation to Milan, the creative director and the different teams involved will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with the strategic functions of the company already based in the city, thus maximizing the necessary interactions and synergies” , the source said.
Following the retirement of creative director Alessandro Michele in 2022, Gucci owner Kering (PRTP.PA) restructured the label’s top management in an effort to rekindle sales momentum at its flagship brand.