Sardinia: a race against time to save Cermed

A race against time to save the Cermed ceramics factory in Guspini, Sardinia, and to relaunch tile production, safeguarding the jobs of over a hundred workers. The company, established in the Medio Campidano area with funds earmarked for the conversion of mining activities, finds itself forced to tackle a crisis caused by high energy and transport costs. Specifically, the plant, which employs 120 staff, is grappling with a shortage of natural gas, high electricity costs, as well as price rises affecting road and sea freight – not least because the majority of its production is exported overseas.

The situation has prompted management to halt production, ensuring the safety of both the plant and staff, and to initiate procedures for the so-called ‘blank composition agreement’, as well as the furlough scheme for the workers employed there. “The focus is now on the procedures currently underway, some of which have been initiated but need to be completed, and for which the commitment of everyone – workers as well as institutions – is required,” says Gigi Loi, regional secretary of Uiltec, “because the aim is to save a company considered strategic not only for the local area but for the entire region”. The crisis has been caused by high energy costs and the fact that the island does not yet have a natural gas supply. “On this point,” adds Loi, “we also need to speed up the process for constructing the natural gas pipeline. And in this case, the local councils must play their part.” Then there are the costs of transporting goods, given that most of the production is destined for foreign markets. “In this case,” he adds, “the effects of the ETS and high fuel prices have been felt – hence the need to find a solution that can also be implemented through the territorial continuity of goods. Without new measures, everything is much more difficult.’ To complicate matters further, with the company entering a crisis, there are also ‘restrictions on banking operations’. “This situation has led to the suspension of production activities,” the trade unionist adds, “as well as the securing of the plant and the initiation of procedures aimed at safeguarding workers through the use of the extraordinary wage supplementation scheme for corporate crises.” This situation has also triggered a full-scale mobilisation to defend the production site. The Regional Government has also submitted a request to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MIMIT) to address the dispute, whilst a public meeting has been called for this morning in Guspini with local and regional administrators to tackle what is being described as an emergency. “These procedures must be completed very quickly,” adds Loi, “because the deadline is 31 August, and by that date we hope to have resolved the situation.” The trade unions have also appealed to the authorities to ‘take responsibility in the face of a dispute of regional significance’.