Shoe industry can´t cope with Chinese take-away

THE shoe manufacturing sector in the Balearic Islands is in danger of disappearing, with a further three more companies closing their doors and sacking around one hundred staff. Futur Inca, Gerinsa and Sabates Sastre have shut up business in the last few months.
This situation is as a result of shoe manufacturing work being transferred to countries with a cheaper workforce, in particular Asia.
The companies selling the main shoe brands which used to be made in the Balearic Islands (such as Camper) are now cutting back on costs and subcontracting the major part of the manufacturing work to other countries. However, they are keeping the design, management and marketing departments on the islands.
At present other shoe manufacturers are having financial difficulties, such as Sebastian Payeras and Olinca, who have both significantly reduced production facilities in Majorca. As a result there are only around five companies who are still in business, working for the Inca brand. This change to the shoe sector has also had a knock-on effect to employment levels. Since 1979 there has been a continual decrease in the number of people working in the shoe industry in the Balearic Islands. Shoe manufacturing is a traditional industry on the islands, abd it would be a great shame to see it die, said Guillem Coll, from one of the main trade unions.