The Spanish Association of Knitwear (AEGP) and the Spanish Federation of Apparel Companies (FEDECON) have unanimously decided to discontinue their association with the Spanish Intertextil Council (CIE), reports Europa Press.
Both the apparel bodies collectively represent 70 percent of the Spanish finished garment goods industry, and have announced separation from the CIE, with the aim of finding new ways and paths for development.
According to the AEGP and FEDECON, the separation is aimed at finding and designing new labor frameworks for the industry which is not only conducive in maintaining the current jobs, but also helps in creating new jobs in the sector.
As per the apparel organizations, the instability prevailing in Asia, and the desire of certain enterprises to seek new opportunities leading to relocation of manufacturing units from Spain, has created a situation of low wages for workers in the sector, and the dissociation from the CIE is a conscious decision by the two parties to seek new paths that help generate greater economic activities in the sector.
Meanwhile, the CIE expressed disappointment over the decision stating that the CIE would continue to defend the interests of business with the support of the rest of its founding members, who advocate that the CIE is the most representative organization of the Spanish textile and clothing industry, which aims at collectively working towards the betterment of the sector.
Last year, the FEDECON and AEGP had also opposed the collective agreement governing the relationship between employers and workers in the textile industry, especially the textile sector wage deal for the period upto December 2013, and after several negotiations agreed to join the deal.
Established in 1979, the CIE consisted of the following organizations: Association of Textile Entrepreneurs of Valencia (ATEVAL), FEDECON, AEGP, as well as the Federation of Wool, Industrial Association for Processing Cotton, Textile Federation of Sedera and the National Federation of Dyes, Chemicals and Textile Finishings—collectively known as TEXFOR.
