Furniture firm folds up; 400 workers go jobless

CEBU - The country’s biggest furniture manufacturing and exporting company, Giardini del Sole, Inc. in Mandaue City, declared a temporary shutdown after it received zero orders from its international market.

As a result of such closure, more than 400 workers lost their jobs.

“What can I do? There are no orders. It’s a terrible crisis,” Giardini del Sole, owner and president Giovanni Bosch told The FREEMAN.

Eunito Sin Jr., vice president of the Nagkahiusang Pwersa nga Mamumuo sa Giardini-Partido ng Manggagawa, said that they filed a notice of strike yesterday before the National Conciliation and Mediation Bureau.

Sin said they were not informed that they will no longer be allowed to work starting yesterday.

But Bosch said the workers were informed last December 23 that “if there are orders, they will work but if there are no orders, they will have no work.”

The owner said that the United States accounts for 95 percent of his market. “But I have no orders from America, it’s zero,” Bosch said.

Further, Bosch said that the worldwide economic crunch has “really taken a toll in their operations.” In fact, he said, more than 150 of the company’s casual employees were laid off in November.

PM spokesperson Dennis Derigue said that the workers will continue their picket at the furniture factory in barangay Alang-alang today.

The furniture firm owner added that those workers who want to apply for separation pay will be given what is due to them. — Mitchelle L. Palaubsanon/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)