Moroccan Textile Industry Opposes Minimum Wage Hike Amid COVID-19 Crisis

The increase in the SMIG as of July 1 does not please the textile workers, according to Les Inspirations Eco. "The announced increase in the SMIG will only worsen the already critical situation of our companies," declares Mohamed Boubouh, president of the Moroccan Association of Textile and Clothing Industries (AMITH).

For the association and its members, it is preferable to postpone this revaluation of the SMIG to 2021, as suggested to the government by the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). "Even before the health crisis, professionals in the sector were facing many difficulties. The pandemic has exacerbated the situation, leading to a complete cessation of business activities for companies," laments Mohamed Boubouh, who recalls that in addition to facing various expenses (insurance, bank charges, rent, etc.), these have had to reduce their pace of work after the resumption of activities after the lockdown in order to comply with health requirements and preserve the health of employees.

What matters to the textile workers is the preservation of jobs and the reduction, as much as possible, of layoffs. Rather than going in the direction of an increase in the SMIG, the professionals, in a letter addressed to the CGEM last May, had wished for a diligent reaction to the perverse effects of covid-19. For the president of AMITH, it is an "unjustified revaluation", because the period is not conducive to it and the textile workers, reduced by the crisis, do not have the means to bear the effects.

Hope remains, however, believes Mohamed Boubouh. "There are really opportunities, but only for operators who will manage to survive the crisis," he says, announcing that the Ministry of Industry has authorized the creation of the "Morocco" label, the development of which has already been the subject of a study carried out by the AMDH.