Shtip, 25 February 2024 (MIA) - Production in the textile sector is in free fall, sayd Angel Dimitrov from the Organization of Employers. He points out that the private sector has been waiting on the wage subsidy measure for three months now, as it has been announced at the end of November 2023. According to Dimitrov, the legal solution has passed the first reading in the Parliament. 

Dimitrov told MIA that employers do not know and have no information as to why this measure is stuck in the Parliament, because it will really help the business sector, as well as the workers, whose employers will be able to increase their wages. He adds that in this sector the situation with smaller companies is serious, because some of the European partners have already left and redirected their orders to Bangladesh or Vietnam.

"A large number of companies have left. Smaller companies are barely making ends meet. They have problems, especially those in Makedonska Kamenica, Shtip. They don't know how to continue. They hope to find new clients, but it is very difficult. Foreigners are aware that we do not have a young workforce and therefore in the long-run, they lose interest in working in Macedonia," said Dimitrov.

The NGO Glasen tekstilec [Loud Textile Worker] has received complaints from about twenty women textile workers that the employers will not extend their fixed-term contracts, due to a reduction in the volume of production. Kristina Ampeva says they have noticed that some workers have also signed documents for transforming indefinite-term contracts to fixed-term contracts. She appealed to workers to be careful about what they sign.

"I hope workers will be careful when signing any documents. Because if there is a reduction in the volume of work, I have to point out again that the Labour Law clearly states that if a company, an employer faces serious difficulties in operations and needs to reduce the number of employees, this is done in appropriate consultation with representatives from the trade unions, and in such cases employers should pay benefits according to the work experience of the workers," said Ampeva. 

A three to five percent drop in production in the textile sector is expected this year.

Photo: MIA