Mass Layoff If Power Supply Not Restored Is Warned by Aptma

The All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma) has warned that textile industries would begin laying off workers in Punjab province, which employs about 10 million people, if the Government fails to restore power supply by December 28.
 
Talking to media after an urgent general body meeting, APTMA Punjab chairman Shahzad Ali Khan said the textile industry is upset at the sudden stoppage of electricity supply to textile units in Punjab by the Ministry of Water and Power.
 
Mr. Khan said power to the entire textile sector was suspended on December 22 for an indefinite period, and they have been told that the power supply might remain suspended till February 15, 2013, if the water levels do not rise in the dams.
 
He said the textile industry was left with no option but to layoff workers as all production will come to a halt in the absence of electricity.
 
APTMA Punjab chairman said most of the 10 million workers  in the textile industry live inside the mill compounds and they would also have to live without power and water due to stoppage of power supply.
 
APTMA has estimated that the country’s textile mills would incur a loss of about US$ 300 million in exports, if the power outage continues for a week, and the loss of exports could be as high as US$ 1 billion if electricity supply remains suspended for a month.