Hold on Tight !!!

Here we go again...another round of waves coming...did you read about the retrenchment statistics that came out in the papers few days ago? It was reported that last year's retrenchment count stands at 26,000 people in Penang alone, and that also mainly comes from the last quarters of 2008!!! So not the government is predicting at least another 50,000 people going to lose their job in Penang...haiz...what a sad news for us...


Penang is bracing for more lay-offs and cut in work days as factories feel the effects of the global economic crisis.

Some 1,600 people were retrenched in the first two months of this year.

State Labour Department deputy director Abdul Razak said most of those laid-off were in the manufacturing sector.

"We are monitoring the retrenchments and will help the laid-off workers," he said.

The latest multinational to cut its workforce is computer giant Dell Inc, which will be laying-off 700 staff in the state under a voluntary separation scheme.
InvestPenang executive committee chairman Datuk Lee Kah Choon said more firms, especially factories, were expected to slash their headcount by offering VSS or reduction in work days.

He appealed to companies to lay-off workers only as a last resort.

"The majority of corporations have opted to retain their employees with salary cuts instead. There is absolutely no need to go for this drastic measure at this juncture as we are committed to provide re-training to job seekers who have experience," Lee said.

On the VSS exercise by Dell, he said it was part of the company's restructuring exercise being carried out worldwide.

On the positions affected by the VSS, Lee said the exercise involved staff across the board, which included production, sales and other support divisions.