Pamesa resumed production and tested all its employees

It is the first company to adopt this measure with dual serological and swab testing for about 2,200 employees.

One of the first ceramic companies in the Castellón district to resume production after the 15-day shutdown is the Pamesa Group, which started up a first plant on Friday 10 April and continued gradually through Monday 13 to become fully operational by Tuesday 14.

But the group led by Fernando Roig insists that activities are being resumed in complete safety. Not only the group completed the purchase of masks to be handed out to its employees, it has also announced that it has already performed dual testing of all of its 2,220 employees to minimise the risk of contagion and to guarantee the maximum protection and safety for workers. The first is the serological test that gives almost immediate results, while the second is the swab test which delivers results within about 48 hours.

During a press conference on April 16th, Fernando Roig confirmed that about one third of the results have already been received, with just 1,33% resulting positive to Covid-19 with minor symptoms and therefore respecting the quarantine at home.

Roig also confirmed that the company will not make use of either the ERE or the ERTE (“Expedientes de Regulación Temporal de Empleo”, the mechanism that temporarily allows Spanish companies to suspend employment contracts or reduce working days due to force majeure while keeping workers on full pay). “I am proud to be able to keep all workplaces – he said – we are working to assure a good 2020 and, if this should not be possible, I am sure that next 2021 will be positive”.

The group has also activated a programme to support families undergoing economic hardship in Almassora, Vila Real, Onda and Castellon, which will be covered by both Grupo Pamesa and the members of Board. Moreover, about 10,000 kits for the tests have been delivered to the health authorities in Valencia.

During the press conference, Roig stated that “the sales of Grupo Pamesa were up 14% up to March, although, after the pandemic, new orders have almost halved. But we are not pessimistic, we are working hard with the sales staff to recover as soon as possible and we have no liquidity problems”.