200 Carlo Gavazzi workers on four-day week

Some 200 workers employed at Carlo Gavazzi in Bulebel have been put on a four-day week.

The company, which designs and manufacturers electronic and electro-mechanical control components for the industrial automation market, said it had been strongly affected by the current international economic crisis.

"Orders have fallen drastically over the past few weeks. This, coupled with cancellation of orders in the company's export segments, has had a negative impact on the company's financial viability and competitiveness," the company said.

It said it was hoped that the reduced working week would allow it not to resort to redundancies.

The reduced working week affects all the workers except the Product Development and the R&D departments where efforts are being intensified to launch new products on the market in a continuous efforts to generate new business.

"All efforts are being made in order to minimize the adverse effects on our employees while minimising the negative impact in anticipation of a speedy market recovery," the company said.