Tirupur knitwear exportersresume production with 10 percent employees; District Collector warns of severe action if Covid-19 safety rules are violated
Tirupur: In Tirupur district, Rs. 26,00,00,000 crores are traded annually through knitwear exports with 10,00,000 lakh workers being employed in this sector.
Tirupur knitwear exporters have been banned from operating during the complete lockdown owing to the spread of Covid-19. Thus, all knitwear companies were closed for the last 15 days. Exporters feared that this would lead to a lack of confidence in foreign traders and that the industry would face a severe downturn if orders did not reach other countries. Hence, the knitwear companies continue to demand of the Government that they be allowed to operate.
Following the relaxation this week amidst the lockdown, knitwear exporters and their suppliers have been allowed to operate with 10 percent of their staff following Government guidelines. As a result, workers have resumed work since Tuesday. Workers are made to rinse their mouths with salt and turmeric water when they turn up for work, rub coconut oil on their nasal passage, test body temperature, apply sanitizers and then allowed inside. Exporters say workers will be offered work in rotation as only 10 percent of employees are allowed.
In a statement, District Collector Vijayakarthikeyan warned that flying squads headed by the Sub-Collector and Level Officers would be set up round-the-clock to monitor whether export companies were adhering to Government guidelines and to take strict action against companies that did not comply with the regulations.
Tirupur knitwear exporters have been banned from operating during the complete lockdown owing to the spread of Covid-19. Thus, all knitwear companies were closed for the last 15 days. Exporters feared that this would lead to a lack of confidence in foreign traders and that the industry would face a severe downturn if orders did not reach other countries. Hence, the knitwear companies continue to demand of the Government that they be allowed to operate.
Following the relaxation this week amidst the lockdown, knitwear exporters and their suppliers have been allowed to operate with 10 percent of their staff following Government guidelines. As a result, workers have resumed work since Tuesday. Workers are made to rinse their mouths with salt and turmeric water when they turn up for work, rub coconut oil on their nasal passage, test body temperature, apply sanitizers and then allowed inside. Exporters say workers will be offered work in rotation as only 10 percent of employees are allowed.
In a statement, District Collector Vijayakarthikeyan warned that flying squads headed by the Sub-Collector and Level Officers would be set up round-the-clock to monitor whether export companies were adhering to Government guidelines and to take strict action against companies that did not comply with the regulations.