The professionals laid off by the fashion factories are being hired by the wool factories in Durrës

2024-03-17 09:32:00, Sociale CNA

The professionals laid off by the fashion factories are being hired by the wool

For more than a month, former employees in fashion factories in Durrës, Sukth, Shijak areas are being employed in poultry breeding establishments. Lilo Seraj, from the egg production company "Ovvital", said that these movements are increasing the recruitment of qualified employees.

"The problems with the labor force have been continuous for 3-4 years. In addition to the lack of manpower, even the part that is ready is unskilled.

Due to the problems that the fashion sector is facing, this year we have an influx of slightly more qualified human resources, and I believe that a part of the sectors that are facing difficulties will be systematized with the labor force flowing from the fashion industry".

Earlier, the chairman of the Pro-Export Albania Association, Edvin Prençe, claimed that for the month of January 2023, from the shoe and clothing factories in cities such as: Shkodër, Vau i Dejës, Has, Laç, Fushë-Krujë, Krujë, Elbasan , Gramsh and Bilisht were cut 3,000 jobs.

"The situation is critical, not to say apocalyptic with daily business closures and job cuts. We have an economic war report with about 500 jobs per week throughout Albania (from January 4, 2024 until today, about 3,000 jobs cut)", he said earlier.

According to him, the reason for job cuts is the drop in the exchange rate and, as a result, the loss of competitiveness, the pronounced lack of liquidity for businesses to renew production plants and the purchase of raw materials and the diversification of the current European clientele.

Mr. Prençe underlined that the most affected areas are the rural ones, in which the social impact is higher.

Effects of labor shortage, exporters eye India

The shortage of manpower in the factories collecting and processing medicinal plants continues to be a sharp problem for the sector.

Filip Gjoka, from "Filipi Co", claims that the only solution left is the employment of Indian employees, since the local power has emigrated.

"The sector is also facing many difficulties with the lack of labor force due to immigration.

This is bringing not only the leaving of barren lands, but also the decrease in the amount of plants collected in the mountainous areas, due to the displacement or emigration of the inhabitants, but also the lack of labor in the collecting and processing factories.

The only solution remains the employment of foreigners. So far, our company has hired 10 employees from India. Their work performance is satisfactory.

It is expected that another 20 employees from India will arrive next month," he said.

In order to maintain the workforce, businesses have been forced to raise employee wages from time to time. Orges Liperi says that the increase in costs from the salary increase has influenced higher costs for the final product.

"We are constantly encountering problems due to the lack of manpower. In order to prevent the next gap that can be created by the departure of employees, we have increased salaries and keep more employees than are needed, increasing the cost of the final product", underlines the head of the company "Albanian Trading Company" sh.pk

While Kujtim Zere, head of the "Albanian Herb" company, adds that the sector would be able to afford the cost of labor for another year, due to the increase in wages and their lack.

"The area of ??Belshi is quite rich in the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants, a source of livelihood for the residents of the area. But most of them have immigrated to Greece to do similar work or to Italy with the same salary. This is really strange!/ Monitor.al