The Spanish association of manufacturers of ceramic tiles and pavements (ASCER) has asked the Spanish Government this Thursday for greater and urgent aid because these do not depend on Brussels but on the central Executive.
"A much more determined action is needed, more than 400 jobs have already been destroyed and we have more than 7,000 employees in ERTE, who can follow the same path and we do not see any measure by the Government", said the secretary general of ASCER , Alberto Echavarria.
The impact of the energy crisis on the tile sector is also paramount in the Castellón economy, since according to data from ASCER (2019) the ceramic cluster accounts for almost 9% of employment in the province of Castellón and 1.1% of employment of the Valencian Community.
The employer's association recalls in its statements this Thursday, through a clear statement, that neighboring European countries "do protect their companies, while the Government continues to stand still," clarifies its general secretary. And they give examples: they affirm that Italian manufacturers are already receiving "strong and decisive aid" from their government, discounting up to 40% of the difference in the price of gas on their bills compared to 2019, which is giving them a "remarkable advantage " Competitive compared to Spanish tile.
They already talked about this a few weeks ago on the occasion of the sector fair held in Bologna, Cersaie, which was attended by a large group of tile companies and in which both the president of the Generalitat Valenciana and the president of ASCER met to discuss This question.
And they insist on this in their statement: "Portugal, Poland or the Czech Republic are being supported by their governments with much more determination than what the Spanish government is doing," they declare.
Contrary to the criticism of the Pedro Sánchez government, ASCER assesses "positively" the political action of President Ximo Puig in Brussels this week, during which the head of the Consell announced that next Tuesday, October 18, he will meet with the Table of the Ceramics in Castelló de la Plana to address both the direct aid to the sector by the Consell and the central government and the global situation, and also to inform you about the steps taken in this institutional mission in Brussels.
"The European Commission must act quickly to eliminate the inefficiencies that are occurring in the energy market, especially in the price of gas, which are forcing many industries dependent on this energy to reduce or stop their production with the consequent destruction of jobs. work," insists ASCER.
