Miwa Cooperative challenges China

The challenge to Chinese low-cost eyewear comes from Selva dei Molini, a small town in the heart of Pusteria with 1,500 inhabitants. Vecellio, an innovative company with 52 employees in Auronzo di Cadore, in the heart of the Belluno eyewear district, opened a subsidiary in Selva dei Molini in 1997: at that time, the market was expanding rapidly and Vecellio was unable to meet demand because of a lack of manpower in the area.

It therefore decided to open the subsidiary and employed about twelve people who lived in the area.
Now, Vecellio has been replaced by Miwo, a cooperative founded by 9 of those 12 employees. 'In June' continued Albrigo, who followed the dispute, 'the company announced that it would be closing the subsidiary and begin the mobility procedure. The employees got together and decided to set up a cooperative to continue production. They were courageous, but they've been rewarded. Vecellio has guaranteed the new cooperative eyewear and frame production for three years and it has overhauled all the company's machinery.'

Last Wednesday, an agreement was signed for the mobility of 9 employees: Albrigo explained: 'The workers can ask Social Security for an advance payment of the entire mobility amount to open their own business. To ensure they wouldn't be out of work, they formed a cooperative to continue production. In this way they have avoided a mobility crisis which would have paid out a monthly sum of only 680 euros. In addition, Selva dei Molini is a small town and it could not provide jobs for everyone. This is a positive example of how seemingly insurmountable employment problems can be resolved.'

The solution also suits Vecellio which, in addition to quality glasses and frames with its own label, also produces 'designer' glasses in the Coveri and Braccialini lines. 'We did not want to lose the professionalism of these workers' said Valerio Balliana, head of corporate strategies at Vecellio, 'that is why we are guaranteeing machinery overhaul, advanced training courses and orders for three years. At Selva, quality glasses and frames will be produced whereas previously only part of the production was carried out there. For us it will be like decentralizing but keeping it in the family.' Half of Vecellio's billings of 7 million euros come from Italy and half from its exports to 30 countries worldwide.

(Source: Corriere delle Alpi)