Carrefour decides to lay off 175 people in Milan, unions: "It's unexpected and unacceptable"

Milan – Carrefour Italia raises the axe on employment. The French multinational has announced its decision to eliminate 175 jobs at its Milan headquarters, out of a total of approximately 700 employees . A move that the company justifies as part of a broader strategy to revive the fortunes of the Italian business.

The transalpine group does not mince words in justifying its choice: the Italian large-scale distribution market is "characterised by intense and fragmented competition , in the face of decreasing purchasing power and constant pressure on margins, determined by energy and logistics costs and rising interest rates".

The reorganization is part of a broader transformation plan centered on the franchising model , a strategy that should allow to "accelerate the path to relaunch financial and commercial sustainability". The company assures that the management of redundancies will take place "in full compliance with current regulations", seeking solutions that reduce the social impact on the workers involved.

But the unions are not having it. Filcams Cgil , Fisascat and Uiltucs denounce that the announcement “comes unexpectedly and worsens an already tense climate”. The unions point the finger at what they define as a series of “bad corporate decisions” that have characterized Carrefour’s presence in Italy in recent years.

“This is an unacceptable dismissal ,” thunder the workers’ representatives, who promise to fight to protect the employees involved. Their request is clear: to guarantee employment without unloading onto employees the responsibilities of a company management that has led to “a state of economic suffering that has lasted for years now.”

Carrefour says it is available for “ constructive and responsible dialogue ” through the involvement of the social partners, but the unions do not seem willing to make any concessions. “Without concrete answers,” they warn, “we reserve every possible initiative to protect workers.”