This spontaneous meeting in Castellón brought together Pedro Sánchez and leaders from the ceramic industry, including the main employers and unions. The gathering focused on the government’s pledges to support the tile sector, but the consensus among participants was clear: more decisive action from the executive branch is needed. The crisis at hand is immense and demands urgent, scaled responses. A follow-up session at the Provincial Assembly included representatives from Ascer, Anffecc, Asebec, and the cluster’s key commercial bodies, alongside top secretaries from the major unions.
The appointment was originally aimed at presenting a manifesto to social workers, a plan endorsed by the province’s strongest political forces and cluster mayors last week. José Martí, the head of state, outlined a broader course of action, signaling that all necessary steps would be taken and that mobilization would occur if required. Martí set a timetable for additional meetings and expressed a clear goal: travel to Madrid to ensure voices reach policymakers and business leaders at the capital, showing unity in action against an entirely intolerable situation. Several sessions are planned for mid-December, designed to produce agile and urgent measures. The core message remains stark: saving the ceramics industry equates to defending Castellón’s future, as the sector faces risk from ERTEs, factory closures, or relocations. If progress stalls, demonstrations could begin in January, signaling a tough start to 2023 for the Castellón community.
participants
Alberto Echavarría, general secretary of Ascer, led a delegation that spent more than an hour at the table. He was joined by Manuel Breva of Anffecc and Juan José Martínez of Asebec, along with the state-level general secretaries from CCOO and UGT, Albert Fernández and Francisco Sacacia, respectively. Industry leaders Jordi Riera and Vicente Chiva, representing CCOO and UGT, participated, as did Salvador Serrano, secretary general of CEV Castellón. State legislators Ximo Huguet and Pau Ferrando, who oversee Ceramics and Economic Promotion, were present too.
Pedro Sánchez listens to ceramics in Castellón but does not indicate new help
Following the discussions, Ascer’s general secretary stressed the need to keep pushing for targeted measures benefiting the cluster. He noted that Pedro Sánchez and his colleagues are aware of the sector’s needs, yet concrete relief must arrive. The group acknowledged that the current state budget negotiations limit what can be announced immediately, but agreed that any meaningful tile industry support must be safeguarded within the forthcoming financial plan.
final balance sheet
After the talks, the Ascer representative summarized the mood: continued advocacy is essential to secure concrete actions for the ceramic cluster. The industry watchers noted that the government is in the process of shaping the 2023 State budget, and thus any major forms of assistance require alignment with budget allocations. There was also reference to the European Commission’s proposal that would cap gas prices at 275 euros per megawatt hour, a figure viewed by Castellón leaders as insufficient given the current energy costs. Echavarría remarked that this proposal fails to reflect the real pressures on small and medium-sized tile manufacturers, and he warned that if countries stall or refuse to back the plan, the outcome could underperform expectations.