Tod’s CEO defends company ethics following labour exploitation allegations

"Made in Italy is one of our country's excellences, recognised worldwide," explained Diego Della Valle last Friday from Tod's headquarters in Milan. The executive's comments came after the city's Public Prosecutor's Office requested judicial administration for the Marche-based company, Tod's SpA, for allegedly negligently facilitating "severe labour exploitation" within its supply chain.

Della Valle: 'Trivialities should not be reported so lightly, as if we were criminals'

"Trivialities should not be reported so lightly, as if we were criminals, without the opportunity for a rebuttal at the appropriate time. It causes enormous damage to the country; to craftsmanship; and to young people looking for work. This lack of respect for our reputation is a disgrace," Della Valle added, according to a report by Corriere della Sera. The Italian media outlet further noted that Della Valle invited public prosecutor Paolo Storari to visit his companies to verify "if we are people who do not care about respecting others".

Diego Della Valle Credits: Tod's, portrait by Leonardo_Rinaldesi

The group is not under investigation, but Storari has requested judicial administration because it allegedly failed to monitor and negligently facilitated "labour exploitation" in the production chain. This occurred through Chinese-managed factories where conditions were described as "nineteenth-century" to achieve higher profits. "The fairytale that going to the Chinese is advantageous does not exist in our case. We do not discriminate against anyone. For me, Chinese, Italian, and American workers are all equal. We have them sign an agreement that guarantees regular conditions and work environments compliant with the law, in addition to respecting national contracts," added the president of the Tod's Group.

President of Tod's Group: 'We conduct checks and verify working conditions'

"We conduct checks and verify working conditions. We cannot be accused of the misconduct of those who decide to break the rules without our knowledge," he stressed, according to Corriere. Della Valle added that it is not the exception that makes the rule, but the thousands of companies that operate correctly and represent the best of Italy. "Entrepreneurs seek quality, not small savings, it is not necessary," especially if it comes at the expense of their reputation.

Della Valle also praised Adolfo Urso, Italy's Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, who recently announced new measures to protect the supply chain. "An urgent solution is crucial. It must provide Italian control bodies with the maximum ability to verify everything and give us the opportunity to work without being judged on often completely unsubstantiated matters,” said Della Valle.

He added: "Let's not give an advantage to other countries. Let's keep this leadership for ourselves," also inviting his colleagues and fellow entrepreneurs to speak out.

In recent days, the Milan Public Prosecutor's Office requested judicial administration for the Marche-based company, Tod's SpA, for negligently facilitating "severe labour exploitation" within its supply chain.

The request from public prosecutor Paolo Storari is addressed to the Court of Cassation, which has scheduled a hearing for November 19. This follows the initial rejection by the prevention measures section of the Court of Milan.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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