In recent days, workers at several factories in Prato have been on strike, causing widespread concern. Behind this phenomenon is the remarkable changes that have taken place in Prato over the past five years.
· Prato's fashion industry is facing difficulties
Italy's Corriere della Sera reported that the city is not only the most important textile center in Italy, but also the largest Chinese clothing manufacturing base in Europe.
However, both the fast fashion market and the luxury industry are now being hit by the crisis. Many apparel businesses have closed, and those that survive are facing a 90% drop in revenue.
"Almost no one came, nothing to explain." Luisa said helplessly in the showroom of the clothing company run by her parents.
Luisa's parents don't speak Italy and rely on her to communicate with clients. At this time of year, the company has many customers lining up to place orders, with buyers from places such as France, Germany, Poland and Canada, usually ordering hundreds or thousands of garments at a time.
Today, however, there are very few visitors in the showroom. "It's just one or two people a week, and they buy very little, it's like they're going to take it for a test," Luisa said. We don't know what the problem is, so we can't find a solution. ”
She continued: "We've never experienced a situation where customers disappear and revenue plummets. "· An increase in migrant workers from other countries
At the same time, the number of migrant workers from other countries in the local textile industry is increasing, while the number of Chinese workers is decreasing.
Wang Liping, a Chinese entrepreneur, pointed out: "It's not that they're leaving, it's that there are fewer and fewer new Chinese. "This trend has become more pronounced during the pandemic, with the number of Chinese newborns at Prato Hospital falling by 35% in the past three years.
According to the report, under the crisis, potential contradictions have resurfaced. The demands of workers from Pakistan and Africa also reflect problems that have existed in Prato for many years.
On December 1, 2013, a fire killed seven Chinese workers. In their investigations, local authorities and the judiciary have referred to "self-exploitation" by Chinese workers, i.e., those who voluntarily choose to work in an unreasonable or excessive manner.
While safety conditions at the factory improved in the years since, the working conditions of workers have not improved significantly.
Unlike in the past, migrant workers from countries such as Pakistan have now chosen to protest, refusing to overwork and demanding an eight-hour workday, five days a week, in accordance with state contracts.
In this context, the Prato textile industry, which is currently facing serious challenges, is in dire need of government support. In fact, in the last six months, the number of people employed in Prato has fallen sharply, and applications for unemployment benefits have also reached their highest levels.
Obviously, Prato is undergoing profound changes, and the future direction of development still needs to be paid attention to and explored.
(Yi Yi Original, Editor: Shu Liao, Translation: Sasha, Image source: Pixabay network, please indicate Yi Stew: oushitalia)
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