"Textile crisis deepens: Topper halts production and furloughs nearly 1200 workers", 19 July 2024

The factory that the sportswear brand Topper has in Tucumán stopped its activity this week. It is due to excess of stock. It has already faced two rounds of layoffs due to the consumer crisis. This week it dismissed its almost 1200 employees.

The Topper factory in Tucumán stopped its activity this week. It is due to excess stock, one of the many consequences in production of the collapse in demand generated by the recession promoted by the government of Javier Milei.

Topper laid off 120 workers between March and April and, faced with the lack of sales, this week the factory dismissed its 1,190 employees (938 workers), because its warehouses are collapsed.

A month ago, the most senior employees were forced to take the holiday days they had pending, but as it was insufficient to generate savings, the company adopted this last measure. The return for all will be next Monday 22nd.

Speaking to Ámbito, Jorge Fugaracho, provincial representative of the Argentinean Footwear Industry Workers' Union (UTICRA), acknowledged that there is concern because it is a similar scenario to the one experienced during the administration of former President Macri, when the ex-Alpargatas dismissed 500 employees...

‘The latest government measures do not seem to help national production to recover’, said the leader.

Specifically, the trade unionist refers to the government's determination to eliminate customs control of the labelling of textile and footwear products entering the country. Its implementation raises doubts because it would favour unfair competition from importers and the deterioration of local production.

[Translation via DeepL]