Fattal, Arad Towels offers to hire fired Polgat workers

Polgat Textile yesterday filed for liquidation at the Beer Sheva court, citing insolvency. But there's hope for at least some of the textile firm's 300 fired workers: The Fattal chain of hotels and Arad Towels are offering to hire some of them.

The company's motion to the court cites an equity deficit of $4.6 million, a working capital deficit of $4.3 million and a loss of about $5 million for the first three quarters of 2007. Polgat says its competitive edge was destroyed by the dollar's dive against the shekel and the surge in production input costs.

Fattal is offering 120 of the dismissed workers jobs in housekeeping and services, while Arad Towels is offering 50 jobs. "I read that Polgat Textile is closing in TheMarker, and firing 300 people, and felt I had to do something," said Ilan Levy, manager of the Magic Palace Hotel in Eilat, a Fattal group firm. "I call on the dismissed workers to come to us. On the spot I'm offering 20 jobs in housekeeping and service at the Magic Palace."

Levy contacted the Fattal management, which followed up with the offer of 120 jobs in the chain hotels in the Dead Sea and Eilat.