Mercatone Uno, 1360 employees in the 34 stores of the well-known brand of furniture and furnishing accessories for which the Court of Bologna has authorized the special sale of goods. None of the three stores in the province (Ferrara, Mesola, San Giuseppe di Comacchio) are among the 34 whose closure has been announced.

The uncertainty about the future actually concerns all the workers and associates of Mercatone Uno (4,000 in Italy and 80 in the province of Ferrara); no acquisition proposal by a potential investor has yet been formalized, which the management of Mercatone Uno has repeatedly reported to the unions, which, however, according to the latest news reported in the media, should concern only a part of the 79 stores.

“Even in Ferrara, in accordance with the national commitment, we believe it is necessary to shine a spotlight on the delicate issue of Mercatone Uno – says the provincial secretary of Fisascat-Cisl Luca Benfenati – the workers, when they risk losing their jobs, should all be equal and receive the same attention”. “Mercatone Uno – continued the union leader – is an emblematic case of the underestimation of the risks that the country is running: we could find ourselves, in a short time, to be a peripheral market and of no interest to national and foreign investors. The tertiary sector, like the industrial sector, deserves greater attention also from the Government and the institutions”

L'articolo MERCATONE UNO A RISCHIO LICENZIAMENTO 1360 LAVORATORI E LA CHIUSURA DI 34 PUNTI VENDITA sembra essere il primo su Cisl Ferrara - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei Lavoratori.

Mercatone's discussions with the National Secretariats of the Trade Unions continued on February 16, when the owners announced their decision to file for bankruptcy protection for the Tre Stelle, M-75, and M-73 companies. In the coming days, the Court will appoint the Commissioners who will now manage the proceedings and have full powers for the future of the companies.

The company, in compliance with the trade unions' request, has filed a petition with the Court requesting authorization to pay wages prior to the filing of the settlement agreement (January 19, 2015); a ruling is expected shortly.

To safeguard the continuation of operations, agreements have been reached with most suppliers to ensure the supply of goods needed to continue sales. To the same end, the unions have requested an increase in shareholder investment to ensure business continuity, despite the significant drop in sales recorded nationwide between January and February.

Ferrara is also paying the price for the company's decisions: the Tre Stelle employees who, under agreements prior to the bankruptcy, were seconded to Mercatone have been placed on temporary layoff since January 1st, pending the bankruptcy trustee's decisions.

The situation also appears critical for Mercatone employees at the three stores in the province: Ferrara, Mesola, and San Giuseppe di Comacchio. As Benfenati, provincial secretary of Fisascat Cisl, emphasizes, "it seems highly advisable to contact the trade unions: verify your salary and contribution situation and seek assistance regarding your debt within the bankruptcy proceedings for Tre Stelle employees. We also urge all Mercatone employees to report to the union any improper management practices regarding the application of the solidarity contract and certain contractual provisions (vacation, additional hours, etc.). The attempt to further burden workers with sacrifices and injustices is unacceptable, especially in this situation. A coordinated and centrally defined management system is essential, ensuring consistent conditions in terms of principles and rules of application."

L'articolo Mercatone Uno: confermata la decisione di richiedere il fallimento sembra essere il primo su Cisl Ferrara - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei Lavoratori.

As is known, art. 161, c. 6, LF provides that the entrepreneur can file the petition containing the request for composition together with the balance sheets relating to the last three financial years, reserving the right to present the plan containing the analytical description of the methods and times for fulfilling the proposal, as well as the list of names of the creditors with the indication of their respective credits within a term set by the judge, between sixty and one hundred and twenty days and extendable, in the presence of justified reasons, by no more than sixty days.

From what we have learned, the reservation request and the composition plan have been entrusted to the accountant from Bologna Alessandro Servadei, who for some months has also held the position of president of the board of directors; the lawyer Diego Rufini would instead be the legal advisor.

Unproven rumors suggest that negotiations are underway with potential investors to discuss the new industrial plan developed by Alix Partners.

A new phase now begins for the 3,700 employees working at the 79 Mercatone Uno stores.

As the Secretary Fisascat Ferrara Luca Benfenati recalls, in the face of this latest serious news, we have not had any information about the repercussions that the request for preventive settlement may have on the employees of Mercatone Business and we have no information on the industrial plan that will necessarily have to be presented to the Court of Bologna. However, the immediate repercussions on workers must be addressed, for example the payment of the Cigs for the workers of the Tre Stelle stores and the payment of solidarity for all the other workers of Mercatone Uno.

This is why we believe it is necessary to open a table with both the company and the highest institutions, to whom we will ask to guarantee the protection of workers.
The highest corporate management, the institutions, the commissioners appointed by the court, cannot ignore the workers' right to be represented and protected.

L'articolo Mercatone Uno chiede l’ammissione al concordato preventivo sembra essere il primo su Cisl Ferrara - Confederazione Italiana Sindacati dei Lavoratori.