Bally shut down a leather goods factory in Tuscany

Last week, Bally permanently closed its factory in Lastra a Signa. A total of 55 workers were laid off, reported the unions Uil and Cgil to the Italian press. “In the context of the fashion industry's crisis, this is yet another brand that not only avoids negotiation tables but also dares to lay off 55 people without any dialogue with trade unions or use of social safety nets,” commented Marco Conficconi, regional secretary of Uioltucs. The factory, located on via dei Ceramisti in the artisan area of the Florentine municipality, was primarily involved in producing leather accessories and footwear. While it is true that the luxury sector's crisis is affecting many brands and groups, including major French conglomerates Kering and LVMH, it is worth noting that Bally has faced a particularly challenging year. A month ago, the same fate that befell the Tuscan plant’s workers was suffered by 65 Swiss employees at the brand’s Caslano headquarters.

While the closure of a leather goods factory is not an isolated case but rather another sign of the crisis of Italian craftsmanship, the unions—approached by the 55 former workers now unemployed just before Christmas—emphasize the severity of the situation lies in the company providing no solutions to its employees. La Nazione made it clear that “in the context of the general leather goods crisis, this is the first episode of this scale.” The mayor of Lastra, Emanuele Caporaso, intervened by contacting the Region to initiate a crisis table. “This situation stems from a dramatic crisis in the fashion sector, and it is crucial to prevent the approach used by the company from being applied to other businesses,” commented the mayor. UilTucs Toscana announced that today, Tuesday, December 10, it would meet with company representatives to “assess the applicability of social safety nets and provide workers with opportunities for relocation,” said general secretary Conficconi.