Winners Garment closing too
Saipan Tribune, Micronesia
By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter
Garment manufacturer Winners Corp. is also closing down its operations on Saipan effective Feb. 5, 2014.
The Afetnas-based Winners Corp. is the fifth garment factory in the past month to announce shutdown and suspension of factories on the island.
Saipan Tribune learned yesterday from Winners’ official Mathilde Igitol that they have over 500 workers, including less than 90 resident employees.
Winners’ general manager Min Ho Sik informed the Department of Labor last Thursday about the planned closure.
Sik explained that in compliance with the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act and Commonwealth law, which require employers to give official notice to certain government office of a business closure, all factory workers were verbally informed and given written notice last week about the closure.
Sik said the corporation, however, will continue to exist and that it is anticipated that some business activities will continue.
Sik did not explain the reasons of the factory’s impending shutdown.
But those garment factories that either already closed or announced closures had cited reasons the adverse economic conditions brought by the application of the federal minimum wage act in the CNMI, the trade competition in China and other Asian neighboring countries, the increased costs of conducting business in the CNMI, and the lack of orders overseas.
Early this month, garment manufacturer Neo Fashion Inc. notified Labor about its closure by Jan. 13, 2014. The closure will affect 78 employees mostly nonresident workers.
On Nov. 16, Sam Kwang Saipan Corp. notified Labor about its closure of the factory in Afetnas effective on Jan. 19, 2014. The shutdown will affect 117 alien workers and 23 resident workers.
On Nov. 2, L&S Apparel Inc. notified Labor about its intention to cease operations effective Dec. 31, 2014.
On Oct. 31, Jin Apparel Inc. filed a formal notice to Labor about its planned to suspend business operations from Dec. 31, 2014 until March 31, 2014.
L&S currently has 126 alien workers and 51 resident workers. Jin’s Apparel has 81 nonresident workers and 37 resident workers.
Winners Corp. will be the 19th garment factory to close down on Saipan since January 2005, when the World Trade Organization lifted trade quotas.
The liberalization of trade rules has allowed Third World countries to export their garments to the U.S. As a result, many garment factories in the CNMI shutdown operations.
The liberalization of trade rules has allowed Third World countries to export their garments to the U.S. As a result, many garments in the CNMI shutdown operations.
According to Labor records, with the closure of Winners Corp., there are 17 garment factories left on the island.
