The absorption of labor in the Indonesian textile manufacturing sector is predicted to be quite massive in the next few months. Therefore, the total number of workers who will be reabsorbed is estimated to be close to the figure for the last year before the pandemic, 2019.
General Chairperson of the Indonesian Textile Association (API) Jemmy Kartiwa said in a few months the number of workers in the textile sector could return to close to 3.5 million people. However, he was reluctant to explain how many total textile sector workers were affected and who would be absorbed.
"We are laying off employees because the manufacturing sector is not allowed to operate fully. However, the leeway given by the government is now a positive trigger for summoning dismissed employees," said Jemmy.
He believes that employment in the manufacturing sector affected by the pandemic this year is more significant than 2020. In 2020, said Jemmy, companies in the manufacturing sector lay off employees for up to 3 months. This year is predicted only 1.5 months.
As is known, the PPKM Emergency and Level 2-4 policies force the business world in the country to return to their knees. Due to operational creeps along with the enactment of restrictions, the impact on employees is unavoidable.
Based on data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), textile and apparel is one of the sectors in the manufacturing industry that has the largest proportion of workers. Respectively, textiles and apparel have a proportion of 5.18 and 13 percent of workers from a total of 24 sectors in the country's manufacturing industry.
The food and beverage industry has the largest proportion of workers at around 29 percent. Followed by non-metallic minerals industry as much as 6 percent.
Welcoming a full operating permit from the government, Jemmy appealed to companies in the manufacturing sector to immediately vaccinate their employees. In the textile sector, said Jemmy, 80 percent of employees in most companies have been vaccinated.
"So, when it's time to operate, companies in the textile sector will be ready. Because the only key to recovery is vaccines. In the last month, the association has attacked vaccination efforts," he explained.
However, the absorption of labor is considered to be more massive if the association's proposal to obtain safeguard protection from imported products in the form of apparel is approved by the government. The proposal involves a number of ministries as a technical team.
A number of ministries involved, including the Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin), the Ministry of Trade (Kemendag), and the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) and customs. Trade Minister Muhamad Lutfi is said to have signed the proposal.
Jemmy said the application was still being processed by the Ministry of Finance since it was received by the ministry about 1.5 months ago. "We are waiting for the safeguard for apparel. If it comes out, it will really help speed up the recovery in the textile industry," he said.
Meanwhile, the association proposed protection for several types of products, including hijab, koko clothes, and Muslim clothing. The products that are said to be the mainstay of domestic MSME textile product entrepreneurs need to be protected so that they are no longer beaten by imported goods.
