The dark side of “Made in Italy” from Richemont

Zurich, Lausanne, 8. April 2025

In Florence, 13 Pakistani workers employed by a supplier to Richemont were sacked after defending their rights. Public Eye has collected their testimonies, which describe abusive working conditions, a million miles away from the aura of prestige projected by the luxury goods giant. At this very moment, the trade unionists who have been supporting them in their fight are facing defamation proceedings. This case has provoked a wave of indignation and mobilized international solidarity for the exploited workers. But it is only the tip of the iceberg.

Public Eye recently travelled to Tuscany to investigate a labour dispute between migrant workers from Pakistan and Richemont. Until 2024 they were employed by Z Production, a factory that manufactured leather goods for the prestigious Montblanc brand, owned by the Richemont Group. These workers, often hired as “apprentices” and/or “part-time” workers, had to work up to 70 hours a week for a pittance of EUR 900 to 1000 per month, which works out at about 3 euros per hour. They were not given any days off or offered the social protection guaranteed by law. Exploitative conditions of this nature are very widespread in this region, which is Europe’s fashionwear centre, where most workshops have Chinese owners.

With a view to combating these abuses, these employees joined the local trade union Sudd Cobas, which launched an “overtime strike”. This protest enabled them to obtain legal working conditions and decent wages. However, shortly after Z Production and the union reached this agreement, Richemont terminated its contract with the factory for the end of 2023, citing violations of its supplier code of conduct. While unionized workers lost their jobs, the Group, which amassed $ 2.6 billion in profit in 2024, absolved itself of any responsibility. In January, Richemont even filed a complaint for defamation and coercion against the trade unionists in Sudd Cobas, after trying to ban the protests staged outside the Montblanc boutique in Florence.

The scandalous practices uncovered at Z Production are not an isolated case, yet Richemont has not taken any credible measures to remedy them in its supply chain. In November 2024, an Al Jazeera documentary, partly filmed with hidden camera, exposed serious abuses at another factory in Florence, which allegedly picked up orders for Montblanc leather bags after the contract with Z Production was terminated. The group had also been aware of other cases involving exploitation related to its products. In 2020, a complaint was filed against the management of a factory in the region manufacturing Chloé bags, another of the group’s brands. The ruling, which was issued in April 2023, reported working conditions like those at Z Production, and even the use of physical violence against workers. Public Eye is calling on Richemont to finally take responsibility, both towards the redundant workers and across its entire supply chain. 

For more information, click here or contact:

Oliver Classen, Media Director, +41 44 277 79 06, oliver.classen@publiceye.ch

Florian Blumer, Reporter, +41 44 277 79 28, florian.blumer@publiceye.ch