Bally seized; unions demand clear answers

The future of Swiss brand Bally, owned by American fund Regent Lp, looks bleak. According to reports from Ticino online, citing LaRegione, the brand has now been seized by the bankruptcy office. This follows the Lugano court's decision to block its sale to Aare Llc, a US company established last May.

The Swiss press reports that these actions raise suspicions of a controlled devaluation to reacquire assets without the burden of historical debts. Regent also reportedly rejected an offer from Swiss entrepreneur Roberto Martullo, who was interested in the entire group, including the brand. Martullo told LaRegione that the deal is meaningless without the brand, which he considers the main asset.

FashionUnited has contacted Regent for comment.

On July 24, the Ocst union stated in a note: “The information published in LaRegione regarding Bally's situation raises increasingly serious questions about the composition moratorium granted to the company from June 15, 2026.” Ocst is a trade union with over 40,000 members active across all sectors and professions.

“According to public reports, an acquisition offer was submitted by entrepreneur Roberto Martullo aimed at maintaining some operations, certain jobs, and purchasing the brand,” the unions explained. “The rejection of this proposal, if confirmed, makes it even more urgent to understand the actual industrial plan for Bally and what concrete prospects exist for the workers.”

“In recent months, Ocst has consistently reiterated that our Canton needs entrepreneurs interested in creating value through work, production, and local roots, not operations that risk leaving only debts and social consequences behind,” the union representatives stressed in the note. “If it is confirmed that a purchase offer capable of preserving activities, jobs, and supplier relationships has been rejected, the ownership must explain what better alternatives it intends to pursue and why this proposal was not deemed worthy of further consideration.”

“Ocst does not intend to replace the authorities in fact-finding or to fuel speculation. However, the series of events in recent months, from the worsening financial situation to the ongoing procedures and discussions about the company's strategic assets, poses questions to which workers, creditors, and the public deserve clear answers,” the workers reiterated. They added that they “trust the competent authorities are following this matter with the utmost attention and that all necessary investigations will be carried out.”

Last June, Bally Schuhfabriken Sa was placed under a composition moratorium with an estimated debt of around 20 million francs, the unions stated.

In May, following the announcement of 27 redundancies planned for the end of August, a social plan was agreed upon. During the negotiations, the Ocst union explicitly requested guarantees on the availability of funds needed to finance support measures for the affected workers.

Bally had always responded affirmatively to these requests, confirming the commitments made, Ocst pointed out.