Italian police carry out raids on the offices of multiple luxury fashion brands in Milan as part of an investigation into suspected labour exploitation involving Chinese workers, a prosecutor says. Prosecutor Paolo Storari confirms that the targeted companies include Bulgari and Chanel, along with Brunello Cucinelli, Etro, Goyard Italie, Jacob Cohen Company, Moncler and Stefano Ricci. The raids follow reporting by Italian business daily Il Sole 24 Ore, and are linked to concerns about how subcontracting networks operate in the supply chain.
Authorities focus on a common structure in which luxury brands contract work to suppliers, who then subcontract further down the chain. Prosecutors allege that these multi-layer arrangements can end with firms that employ Chinese workers under exploitative conditions. Both outlets describe the case as a labour abuse probe centered on subcontracting practices.
Euronews reports the probe is aimed at the practice of near-ubiquitous subcontracting and the working conditions at the end of the chain. The South China Morning Post adds that none of the nine companies is under formal investigation and that prosecutors have not sought specific measures against them at the time of reporting.
