Max Mara Takes Offence Because Mayor Defends Female Workers

I ask Minister Calderone to brief the Chamber. The owners of Max Mara were offended, irrevocably. Stung in their pride, they reacted with spite. The Polo della Moda of Reggio Emilia has been cancelled. It matters little if that project had been agreed with the municipal administration. They are no longer there, and do you know why? Because Mayor Massari dared to meet the striking workers of Manifattura San Maurizio.

Worse, he said that their reports deserved attention and hoped to open a dialogue with the company. Then he timidly suggested that, perhaps, it would be appropriate to apply the national labor contract . And how can this guy allow himself such an insult to the owners of capital? And what do these workers want? What a load of rubbish, Countess! They said, you think, that they were exploited. They also said other things: that they were called “cash cows”, “fat”, “obese” , invited to do exercises at home to lose weight, monitored when they went to the bathroom. And these, let's say, are the “ colour notes” . The useless humiliation that accompanies exploitation. Then there are the piecework payments, the denied permits, the imposed holidays, the unsustainable pace, the lack of salary recognition. Then there is the fact, now sadly usual, that Max Mara carries out all its logistics under contract. And it does worse: it does not maintain union relations and does not apply the Textile CCNL , but an internal regulation. I repeat: one of the world leaders in fashion does not apply the National Collective Agreement.

Hence that strike, which is a historic fact. A fact that those who care about democracy, the Constitution and rights should greet with emotion. Because it is the first strike in over forty years, the first great demonstration of courage by this group of workers. An exercise in democracy and dignity. The company responded: with a letter of dissociation from the dispute signed by a minority of the employees. I expect the Government to express its solidarity with those who are striking. And to condemn the boss logic with which a company applies retaliation to an entire city, precisely to distance the institutions from workers' demands. To highlight who is in charge. But the Maramotti family is not above the Constitution, nor the Workers' Statute. Deputy Minister Bellucci had to recognize the existence of " problematic situations" . But above all, the Labor Inspectorate confirmed the critical issues reported by the workers. Therefore those bosses would do well to show less arrogance. Because no one buys the beautiful tale of “excellent craftsmanship ” anymore. And the fashion world – which represents 5% of the national GDP – cannot sustain itself on slave labor.

*Avs Deputy

FROM

Mark Grimaldi