The Italian Antitrust Authority said Friday that it has fined the Armani group 3.5 million euros for making "misleading statements regarding their ethical and social responsibility commitments", saying these contrasted with the actual working conditions of the people who make the fashion house's products.
The authority said the Giorgio Armani SpA and G.A.
Operations SpA companies "chose to outsource a substantial portion of their production of leather bags and accessories to suppliers who, in turn, relied on subcontractors.
"At several of these subcontracting facilities, it was found that safety devices had been removed from machinery in order to increase production capacity, thereby placing workers' health and safety at serious risk.
"Furthermore, sanitary and hygiene conditions were inadequate, and workers were frequently employed either wholly or partially off the books.
