New research into Italian shoe and garment factories released today shows that competition with Eastern Europe and Asia is driving down wages and working conditions in Italy....The research, based on workers interviews conducted across Italy in 2013, reveals that factory workers’ wages at entry level in the legal industry do not exceed 1200 euro net per month. In the Veneto region, apprentices were shown to take home 730 euros a month, and home-based workers only 850 euros – far below the amount needed to survive with dignity. A family would need at least 1600 euros to afford a decent standard of living, according to calculations made for Northern Italy by Istat, the Italian national statistics institute. [refers to Loius Vitton, Giorgio Armani, Prada, Dior (part of LVMH]