The threat of a wave of layoffs (PHK) still haunts the national textile and textile products (TPT) industry. Chairperson of the Indonesian Filament Fiber and Yarn Association (APSyFi), Redma Gita Wirawasta said, currently, there are still TPT industry workers who have not returned to the factory since the 2023 Eid holiday. "As a whole the industry is still bad, from upstream to downstream. There are still many other friends who haven't come since the Eid holiday. The holiday has been extended," said Redma, quoted Friday (3/5/2023).
"The condition doesn't seem to be any better than last year," said Redma.
This, he explained, can be seen from the still low utilization of TPT factories, from upstream to downstream. And, it's not just limited to export-based industries which have been hit hard by falling demand.
"In Central Java, West Java, upstream to downstream, it's all the same. Maybe there are good ones, factories with special/special markets," he said.
"The average factory runs 25-35%, below 50%. For the special product industry, maybe there are some that run 80%. But there are not many special product factories," added Redma.
This condition, he said, had caused the absorption of labor in the TPT industry to not recover. In fact, there is still the potential for another wave of layoffs.
"Exports have not recovered, the domestic market has been invaded by imports," said Redma.
This was also acknowledged by the Deputy for Balance Sheets and Statistical Analysis at the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) Edy Mahmud.
Edy Mahmud explained, the number of unemployed in Indonesia in February 2023 decreased by 410 thousand people, to 7.99 million people compared to the same period last year.
"In general, the population working in industry has indeed experienced an increase. However, the population whose status is laborers or workers in the manufacturing sector has actually decreased," said Edy Mahmud in a press statement in Jakarta, Friday (5/5/2023).
"If you look in detail, the number of people working in the textile manufacturing sub-sector or the leather goods industry, including footwear, has indeed decreased. If you look at the status, there has actually been a decline in the manufacturing and textile industries," he concluded.
