A few dozen employees at fashion house Gucci in Rome went on strike on Monday against the company’s decision to move its design office from the Italian capital to Milan.

The decision, which the company communicated to unions in October, would involve transferring 153 of 219 employees to Milan, almost 500 kilometres (311 miles) to the north, by around March.

Labour union CGIL’s regional office said Gucci’s decision was not supported by objective reasons, making hard not to think the real goal was to cut staff.

The transfer “does not involve any staff reductions,” a spokesperson for Gucci told Reuters.

“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 maximising the necessary interactions and synergies,” he added.

Following the departure of creative director Alessandro Michele in 2022, Gucci owner Kering changed the label’s top management, as it seeks to reignite sales momentum at its largest brand.

By Elisa Anzolin

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