The number behind the July strike
Several thousand people marched through Florence on July * during a Tuscany-wide industrial strike. Fashion, textiles and leather goods were among the sectors at the centre of the action.
The *** figure originated in a July * statement from the Florence branches of Italy’s three main trade-union confederations—CGIL, CISL and UIL. They said *** leather-goods businesses had closed in the province since ****, involving approximately *,*** employees, some later absorbed by other companies.
PwC research for Confindustria Toscana Centro e Costa found that Florence’s fashion and leather districts had ** per cent fewer active businesses in the first quarter of **** than in ****. Employment was down ** per cent, while authorised wage-support hours surged *** per cent between **** and ****.