The Akosombo Textile Limited (ATL) is likely to lay off 600 workers by June if government does not stop the importation of cheap and pirated textiles.
Two major unions, Ghana Federation of Labour, and Industrial Commercial Workers Union are proposing government deals with the problem before rolling out any stimulus package for the industry.
Between December 2016 and April this year, GTP alone has laid off about 300 workers, attributing it to the importation of cheap textile products.
The situation is expected to get worse with the dissolution of the anti-pirated textile taskforce which was set up in 2010.
General Secretary of Ghana Federation of Labour, Abraham Koomson indicated ATL intends to lay off workers by the end of this month.
He requested the ministry of trade and industries to reconstitute the anti-pirate textile taskforce.
“ATL, more than 600 people are going to go [home] because the situation is not too good. If the counterfeiting and the smuggling is not checked, no amount of money can help revive existing textile companies,” says Koomson.
The Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU) of which both GTP and ATL are affiliated to, pleaded with government to implement measures to halt the importation of pirated and cheap fabrics to create more job opportunity.
General Secretary of ICU, Solomon Kortei called on the security agencies to seal the borders to prevent the smuggling of such textiles.
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