Rebellion in the realm of luxury! Gucci and Balenciaga workers announce strike

Employees of the Italian Kering Group, owner of brands such as Gucci and Balenciaga, are announcing a strike. The reason? Remote work, or rather, its limitation.

On Tuesday, workers at the Italian branches of the French group Kering , owner of brands like Gucci , Balenciaga , and Yves Saint Laurent , will hold a four-hour strike . Demonstrations are planned in Milan and Scandicci near Florence . What exactly was the strike about? The unions—Filtem Cgil, Femca Cisl, and Uiltec Uil—are accusing Kering of unilateral decisions that they say could undermine workers' rights. One of the main points of contention is the company's decision to reduce the number of remote work days per month from eight to four.

Gucci Luxury Boutique License: Julien Tondu / Unsplash

The Kering Group is experiencing significant declines in its financial results. In the first half of 2025 , revenue fell by approximately 16% to €7.587 billion , with net profit reaching €474 million. Flagship brand Gucci saw sales decline by 26% year-on-year to €3 billion. The situation isn't looking good when the brand on which the group places all its hopes teeters on the brink of collapse. Employee strikes are also a factor. Kering , it's time to wake up!

Trade unions point out that the luxury giant's decision to reduce remote work days—from eight per month to four—was implemented unilaterally, with limited dialogue. Kering Italia responds that the plan was communicated in November, and the previous agreement was extended until September to allow for discussion. From the employees' perspective, the situation is different: the change in working conditions occurred without any real employee participation in the decision-making process .

In a luxury brand environment, where company culture and employee experience are part of the brand's value, such tensions can negatively impact the brand's image.

The company currently faces a dilemma: how to combine the need for savings, a revised work model, and the flexibility expected by employees ? How to maintain morale during a restructuring period when the brand is losing the largest portion of its profits? New CEO Luca de Meo (from September 2025) will have a difficult task ahead of him.