DeCoro faces labor dispute in China
Fight breaks out at factory
Joan Gunin -- Furniture Today, November 3, 2005
SHENZHEN, China -- DeCoro's leather upholstery plant here was the scene of an altercation involving Chinese workers and an Italian supervisor this week, stemming from a labor dispute.
According to news reports, factory workers at the Italian-owned, China-based company went on strike to protest an alleged attempt by management to cut pay. Reports also alleged that Italian supervisors beat three employees as they tried to confront management.
But DeCoro President Luca Ricci, who was in the United States at the time of the incident but said he had spoken to “a friend in China who witnessed everything,” disputed those claims. In a telephone interview, he said the fight broke out after 10 Chinese workers at the foam factory were fired “because they were no good.”
He said pay was not an issue. “We never cut their salary. Not in eight years,” Ricci said.
“These people (Chinese employees) came from the foam factory and started to beat the Italian supervisor. Some other Italians came to defend the Italian guy and they beat the Chinese people,” he said.
According to an Associated Press report, three workers were hospitalized. The factory was closed for at least two days because of the incident.
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