Bengaluru and other apparel manufacturing hubs of Karnataka are stuck in middle as the State Government has imposed a state-wide lockdown and ordered apparel manufacturing units to be shut.
Bengaluru alone offers employment to around 8 lakh workers in apparel manufacturing industry.
Karnataka Employers’ Association (KEA) has requested the Government to allow apparel units to operate at 50 per cent attendance but with strict Covid measures.
Garment manufacturers are in double dilemma! On one hand, work was in progress in their factories with all probability of goods now getting delayed to be shipped to overseas countries. On the other hand, their raw materials too are in transit as they can’t even download the material.
AEPC has also written a letter to the State Chief minister BS Yediyurappa and urged to operate factories with 70 per cent workforce.
“Most of the exporting units are also manufacturing medical textiles/PPE kits and masks for domestic market, hence it is important to allow exporting units to function fully or partially with 70 per cent of the capacity,” said Dr. A. Sakthivel in the letter and further added that we assure that the high level of social distancing, healthy practices and sanitisation be maintained as per covid Norms laid down by the Government.
Jayaram, President, Garment and Textile Workers’ Union said “I really do not know why the Government has closed the garment sector while allowing other manufacturing activities. Several companies are using guards between machines.”
