Kering reaches deal on layoffs after strike, job cuts delayed until September

UPDATE 05-06-2026: Following the strike on May 20 in Scandicci, Florence, on the morning of June 4 Kering met with the National Secretariats of Filctem CGIL, Femca CISL, and Uiltec UIL. At the conclusion of the discussions, the parties reached an agreement that will protect the Group’s employees from unilateral layoffs. According to the new pact, unanimously supported by the employees of the McQueen maison, the layoff deadlines will be postponed until September. Regarding the drastic staff reduction within the company, CEO Luca de Meo stated that, although it was a difficult decision, it was necessary. The measure, the CEO said, «is consistent with the Maison’s new operating model and with the strategic review of its activities at a global level, aimed at restoring the business to sustainable profitability in the coming years.»

Two days ago, McQueen appointed a new CEO: Gianfranco D’Attis, former CEO of the Prada brand. Luca de Meo welcomed the new chief executive officer by saying that he «brings a powerful combination of strategic vision, operational discipline, and deep luxury expertise. His ability to refine the brand’s identity while driving disciplined execution will be instrumental as we refocus Alexander McQueen and unlock its full potential.» Following the announcement of D’Attis’s appointment, the agreement reached with the trade unions, and de Meo’s latest statements, the future of McQueen’s creative director, Seán McGirr, within the company remains uncertain.

In Scandicci, the main Italian production and logistics hub of Kering, starting at 10 a.m. this morning a march of group employees began. The unions are defending workers who will be affected by staff cuts and the broader downsizing of the company. Filctem-Cgil, Femca-Cisl and Uiltec will in fact request the cancellation of the 54 layoffs at Alexander McQueen, which correspond to one third of the company in Italy. The unions are now calling for the use of social safety nets, as well as a dialogue with the group's top management. «The crisis cannot be passed on to people», the associations involved added.

The closure of stores and the focus on tailoring

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Last April, Kering’s financial results showed a rather critical situation: while Gucci is moving toward a slow recovery, the other brands in the French conglomerate are still struggling, especially McQueen.

The plan by CEO Luca de Meo for Kering (called ReconKering) is precisely to focus everything on Gucci for the company’s relaunch, on jewelry with the launch of a dedicated division, and on “pruning” the less stable brands. For McQueen, the CEO has presented a strategy that will refocus on womenswear rather than its more commercial products, in order to elevate its perception. This also means closing several stores of the brand: more than half worldwide by 2026, according to the ReconKering presented by de Meo in April.

Kering's response

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Faced with this morning’s strikes, with unions calling not only for social safety nets but also for greater responsibility from the group, Kering says it will not change anything in the plan recently launched, although it remains open to dialogue. Defending ReconKering and the restructuring of McQueen, which over the past week has contributed to a slight rise in Kering’s stock price, the group is trying to address the crisis without taking its employees into consideration. To see what the results of these strikes will be, we will likely have to wait until early June, when a new meeting between the company and union representatives will take place.

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