We publish below a communiqué from the Goldsmiths' Association of Lombardy concerning the distribution of spare parts to watch repairers:
On Friday, 13 November, a demonstration was held in front of the Ministry of Economic Development, organised by the National Watch Repairers' Category of the Lombardy Goldsmiths' Association, which demanded their right to work threatened by the non-supply of spare parts by Swiss watch manufacturers.
The successful event was attended by delegations of watchmakers from all over Italy representing the more than five thousand workshops in Italy.
In turn, a delegation composed of Andrea Sangalli - AOL President -, Maurilio Savoldelli - President of the National Watchmakers Repairers Category -, Daniele Oldani - President of the AOL Retailers -, Rino de Feo - AOL Treasurer -, Antonio Giovannetti and Rodolfo Saviola - Councillors of the National Watchmakers Repairers Category -, was received by a representative of the Ministry who, after listening carefully, made herself available to guide the watchmakers in finding positive solutions to their work problems.
After meticulously examining and analysing the various aspects of the issue, the atypical nature of the case of watchmakers emerged in comparison to the crisis or pre-crisis situations faced by the Ministry of Economic Development. In the case of the watchmakers, there are, more often than not, no dangers of staff redundancies, but at present there are real and current risks of closure for thousands of artisan workshops or micro-businesses consisting of a single employee, all of which is attributable not to the economic crisis and its corollaries, but to an external element represented by the lack of spare parts supply.
From this point of view, the suggestion was to take up the declarations of strong unease and the risk of closure of VAT accounts represented by watchmakers and purveyors, the intermediate link between watchmakers and repairers. Added to this is the negative reflection of this situation on the goldsmith retail trade, the historic outlet for after-sales watch services.
Not to mention the equally negative backlash on consumers, who are increasingly victims of the monopolistic policies of watch manufacturers that leave them no freedom of choice.
A further indication was to put pressure on the Regions, especially the Lombardy Region, which has already shown itself sensitive to this issue (see Resolution of the Lombardy Regional Council No. 35 of 16 April 2015) so that they would support and make their own the request to the Government and the Ministry to take charge of the issue.
The sum total of all these demands must push the Ministry to formally initiate procedures, through a contradictory dialogue with the watch manufacturers, to reach a fair and positive solution to the watchmakers' dispute.
In the coming days, statements will be collected and sent to the Ministry. We call on watchmakers, suppliers, shops and consumer associations to respond promptly to the vibrant appeal that arose from the demonstration on 13 November.
