The Textile, Footwear and Clothing Council has revealed that an estimated 150 to 200 jobs have been lost since February this year with around 2000 workers in the garment industry now on reduced hours.

TCF Council president Kalpesh Solanki said the industry is now working hard to maintain existing export business as customers in Australia and New Zealand are not giving firm production plans, while those that have are reducing their requirements.

Solanki said the reasons for these include uncertain market conditions, reduced inventory and lower demand and they are also not entertaining any price increases.

He said most factories in Fiji are struggling to keep a full working week with many resorting to different measures, such as stopping recruitment and replacements, working 4 day weeks and in severe cases, they are now laying off staff.

The TCF Council said the feedback from factories on the outlook for the next 12 months was that the future was uncertain and stressed that to think that the global financial crisis will not affect us is ignorant and foolish because it is already upon us.