Another 200 workers laid off in Penang

In the past year, several international firms have said they were retrenching workers.

GEORGE TOWN: More retrenchments are taking place in factories in Penang, according to a report in the New Straits Times.

The latest retrenchment, it said, was of about 200 workers of TS Solartech Sdn Bhd – a subsidiary of Tek Seng Holdings Bhd. The company has sent out a memorandum to workers about the retrenchment.

TS Solartech is a mainland Penang-based crystalline silicon solar cell maker in which Taiwan-based Solartech Energy holds a 42 per cent stake.

According to the NST the memo dated yesterday said: “We regret to inform you that due to redundancy of productivity, there will be a retrenchment programme for surplus workers.”

Those affected were also advised they were not to present themselves for work today.

The report said company officials could not be reached for comment.

Two weeks ago, US-based Rubicon Technology Inc announced that it was closing down its facility – Rubicon Sapphire Technology (M) Sdn Bhd – on mainland Penang.

It said about 180 people would be jobless owing to the closure by the end of this year.

It said in July, it was reported that American hard disk maker Seagate Technology Plc and computer data storage firm Western Digital Corp (WD), would be relocating the bulk of their operations to Thailand. Seagate’s Penang facility is said to have over 3,000 Malaysian staff, while WD was expected to lay off 400 Malaysian staff and 800 foreign workers from its Penang manufacturing site.