Because 320 employees at Giochi Preziosi are in a state of agitation

The employees of the Giochi Preziosi group are in a state of agitation. The mobilization, proclaimed by the trade union organizations Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs, comes after the last meeting with the company and the subsequent update of the closure plan of the retail network, made up of around 30 points of sale distributed throughout the country, many of which are already closed, in the process of closing or involved in negotiations for the sale.

A picture that continues to change, fueling strong employment uncertainties and making an indispensable transparent comparisoncertain information and a real industrial plan for the future of the group. The dispute involves a total of around 320 workers at the offices, central structures and points of sale attributable to the various companies of the group.

The timetable

The progressive dismantling of the commercial network continues to have heavy repercussions on workers, while numerous questions remain open about employment prospects, possible relocations and the protection tools that will accompany the reorganization process.

The latest update sent by the company also confirms a continually evolving timetable, with postponements of some closures, anticipations of others and negotiations still open for possible transfers of company branches. The local checks, however, confirm an information framework that is still not fully linear, in particular with respect to closure times and the evolution of individual local situations. This is also why we believe an overall, formal and timely update to the trade union organizations is essential.

What the unions say

“A dispute of this magnitude – declare Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs – cannot be managed through partial, discontinuous or differentiated communications depending on the territory. Workers have the right to certain information and concrete guarantees. Permanent uncertainty is not a method of crisis management: it is a further factor of precariousness of the people involved”.

The trade union organizations also highlight the need for an overall clarification on the group’s industrial prospects, also in light of the information that has emerged in recent weeks regarding possible agreements, discussions or operations with third parties, which will have to define a credible industrial plan and be accompanied by verifiable commitments on employment protection. It is not acceptable that the strengthening of industrial prospects proceeds in parallel with the progressive dismantling of the retail network without adequate guarantees for the workers involved. For Filcams Cgil, Fisascat Cisl and Uiltucs the relevant choices on the industrial and commercial future of the Group cannot be represented without the assumption of concrete and verifiable commitments on the employment and organizational implications.

The protection of industrial heritage

The Giochi Preziosi affair once again recalls the theme of protection of the country’s industrial and commercial heritagewith historic Italian brands subject to operations that cannot ignore the safeguarding of employment, production continuity and the value built over decades of work. In view of the next meeting at Mimit, scheduled for 9 July, the trade union organizations ask that the table continue on a certain, updated, verifiable and non-fragmented basis, with a discussion of substance on the industrial level, on the role of the new industrial partners, and on the employment prospects of the Group which must not be lacking in necessary and concrete guarantees for workers.

The unions reserve the right to implement every initiative and every mobilization action that is deemed appropriate and necessary, in every location, in order to safeguard workers, guarantee maximum protection of employment, income and dignity of the person, as well as determine a concrete change of direction in the management of the dispute.