Benetton workers in Niš have recently been informed that they will lose their jobs, and the factory will cease operations until April. Workers have not been given any official details about whether they will receive severance pay or be offered new positions elsewhere.
According to some employees, the management explained that the company is facing significant financial difficulties. However, the company has not made any public statements regarding the situation. Workers revealed that the closure was communicated to them unofficially by their supervisors.
One worker shared, “We were told we will continue working until April, after which there will be no more work. We’re already operating at about 20% capacity, and this has been the case for a while. We don’t know if we’ll receive severance pay or if they’ll help us find new jobs. They mentioned that the mayor has been informed, and together with the office, they will try to assist us in finding other employment, but nothing is official yet. We’re expecting an official notice on the bulletin board soon.”
A female employee, who has been with the company for 14 years, explained that during a meeting with the factory’s director, they were told the Niš plant would close in April. “We heard that Benetton is struggling in several countries, and now it’s our turn. About 1,000 people will lose their jobs. We hope we will receive severance pay, but no one is giving us clear information. They just told us that the mayor of Niš and the National Employment Service are aware of the situation,” she said.
Southern News reached out to the company to confirm whether the Niš factory is closing and to inquire about the reasons behind the closure, but the company has not yet responded. The mayor of Niš, Dragoslav Pavlović, was also contacted for comment regarding the closure, whether he has spoken with the management, and what plans are in place for the affected employees, but he has not provided an answer either.
To recall, in late November of the previous year, Niš Assembly member Miodrag Stanković reported that 450 people had lost their jobs at the Benetton factory in Niš. The mayor of Niš later denied this figure, saying it was exaggerated, and clarified that the number was much smaller. He also mentioned that Aster, a textile company, had immediately offered jobs to those who lost their positions at Benetton.
“Worker turnover happens everywhere, not just here. Some companies do well at certain times, while others struggle. This can happen in Niš, whether with foreign or domestic investors, and workers can be left without employment,” said the mayor at the end of 2024.
The Benetton factory in Niš opened in 2011 when it took over the Nitex textile factory.
