Claims of job losses within the garment industry based on the implementation of the new wage rate is totally unjustified.
These are the words of Fiji Trade Union Congress General Secretary Felix Anthony after the TCF industry revealed that 300 jobs have already been lost and another 1000 people are expected to lose their jobs within six months due to the 20% minimum wage increase.
Anthony said the garment stakeholders were given a chance to try and justify why the increase could not be sustained which they failed to do. He said for businesses, there will never be a right time to increase the minimum wage.
President of the TCF Council Kalpesh Solanki said the industry expects a further 800 to 1000 job losses within six months as a result of the wages increase in the depressed economic conditions.
Solanki said the governments in the US, Australia, NZ and Europe are fighting tooth and nail to save millions of jobs and businesses are cutting down on costs to survive.
He said, while the industry will comply with the wage increase, however this will force them to increase prices which will have a trickledown effect.
Claims of Job Loses Unjustified
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