The Hindu Business Line : Tirupur: Do rising job ads signal good times?

Humming again: Advertisements put up at the SIDCO gate in Tirupur for operators, framers and helpers for work at various garment units, including one where Chinese embroidery machines are used. Some even offer free accommodation. – M. Balaji

L.N. Revathy

Coimbatore, March 18 If you are out of job and want one, Tirupur is probably a place that can give you some reassurance.

There are around 700-odd units in the knitwear export cluster providing jobs to about 3.5 lakh workers directly. This has been the claim of exporters.

Farm workers and school drop-outs haunt this place and settle for any job. Trade union sources say there is always a shortage of skilled workforce in Tirupur, and units are willing to employ a worker with minimum work experience.

Though industry insiders contend that there have been job cuts and large-scale retrenchment because of steep decline in export orders, a good number of units seem to continue their hunt for skilled or unskilled workers.

If one takes a quick drive through this small town, one will definitely not miss the notices (in Tamil) painted on compound walls stating ‘Aatkal Thevai’ – ‘men wanted’ for different jobs, or the boards that are tied to the rear of auto rickshaws and buses.

And such notices seem to be on the rise.

The Tirupur Exporters’ Association President, Mr A. Sakthivel, had, a couple of months ago, stated that about 15,000-20,000 workers would lose their jobs, as export orders were showing signs of drying up. “We have no orders after March. This would naturally compel us to trim the size of the workforce,” he had said then.

Though there has been no dramatic change in the situation order-wise, there have neither been reports of job losses.

Has not the downturn affected job prospects? “Some have not returned after the festival (Deepavali), but there is always something for the job hunter,” concede employers.

And, this is obvious. The banners and notices reveal that vacancies are aplenty.

Union sources say there is demand for skilled tailors, especially those who can do ‘over-lock’ with ease. “While it is easy to train workers in jobs such as ironing, dyeing and checking, for some processes, the training takes a while – about 5 to 6 months. It can be difficult to get trained hands.”

Do such workers have an edge? “Not always. When they search for jobs, employers engage them on piece-rate. When the job is outsourced, they are forced to pay extra money, to get the job done. The problem here is ‘lack of permanency’. The worker jumps jobs if he is able to get something extra.”

Is attrition still high? “Though workers are apprehensive about the future, the demand is still high for the skilled workforce,” trade union sources say.