In the ceramic sector of the Valencian Community there is nervousness and a lot of concern about the economic situation. The companies have repeatedly stated this and the workers' representatives have also explained it, as they do not see changes in the near future in which they are also fighting to renew the collective agreement.
"We are very concerned and this is coupled with the day to day, which is becoming more and more difficult with the inflationary situation," explains Jordi Riera, Secretary of Habitat of CCOO-PV. Between January and September, 41 ERTEs were managed, affecting a total of 5,416 employees; but this September alone, another 22 files and 1,817 affected employees must be added, according to employer data.
In total, there are 63 ERTEs affecting 7,233 employees, more than 45% of all workers in the sector; although ASCER warns that it is not possible to know from the approved ERTEs how many are still in execution or how many companies have submitted various files in a given period.
However, the delicate situation due to the price of gas and energy in general is beginning to take its toll. Last week the ceramic company Todagres, from Vila-real and belonging to Grupo Fuertes, informed its works council of the start of an Employment Regulation File (ERE).
The reason is "the current situation and the complicated scenario of the company, derived from its infeasibility at an operational and economic level over the years," explained the company, which has had economic problems since 2010 that have worsened with the current situation. .
Something similar has happened to the firm Azulejera Alcorense, from Almassora, which announced on Friday the beginning of the negotiation process to undertake an ERE that could affect 78 workers. The company explained in a statement that "the recent rise in gas and energy prices is totally unaffordable for gas-intensive industries."
A situation that could occur in other companies and that also worries the unions, who warn that the smallest ones, or those that work for other companies as suppliers, are the ones that will first fall into this context of difficulties.
In this scenario, in addition, the collective agreement remains on hold. The unions plan to meet at the end of the week, or the first of next, to reactivate the negotiating commission, a preliminary step before the mobilization-concentration scheduled for October 22 in Castelló.
They explain that the employers have blocked the negotiation, without "there being any proposal on the table and at a time of so much social responsibility and request for help on their part, precisely they are not putting anything on the table", says Jordi Laugh.
The employers' association ASCER explained last summer that it was "in a position" to offer moderate salary increases that would "partially" compensate for the general rise in prices, but requested that these salary improvements continue to be formally unrelated to the evolution of the CPI.
