Textile factory workers face a bleak festive season due to massive job losses in the textile industry as new orders are dwindling with little hope for mainly youth and women who are seen hustling in the streets trying to make ends meet.

One of former Nien Hsing International at Ha Thetsane Mrs. Makhethang Pule in her mid- 40s a widow with two children told the said this festive season is meaningless to her family as she has no money to buy necessities she used to buy for her family while still employed. Mrs. Pule said they were promised that they would be recalled in no time when they were retrenched but weeks, months and years are passing by with nothing coming.

She says they have lost hope and they appeal to the Government to intervene by bringing new investors so that the closed textile factories could be reopened so that new jobs could be created’ she lamented.

When approached for comment, National Clothing Textile and Allied Workers Union (NACTWU) Secretary General Mr. Sam Mokhele shared the same sentiments that textile workers are facing a bleak future, saying those who are still working work less hours like one week, or two weeks a month.

He said new orders for the textile industry are still not forthcoming as expected, adding that as trade unions they are always expecting bad news from the employers that they would retrench more workers due to the prevailing situation.

He said the Government has made promises in the past that it will do something about the current job losses at the textile industry but nothing tangible has come forward. However, he said there is a fervent hope from the Precious Garment at the Station Industrial Area after reporting that it has received new orders to the extent that their workers are now working overtime.