The European and Spanish ceramics industry operates under strict labour regulations which guarantee fair working conditions and health and safety for its workers.
“The secret ingredient” is a 360-degree campaign showcasing the excellent work of the European and Spanish ceramics industry which reveals the secret ingredient used to produce these materials: respect.
The Spanish Association of Wall and Floor Tile Manufacturers (ASCER), with financing from the Generalitat Valenciana, is launching a campaign titled “The secret ingredient” in order to shine a spotlight on the attributes and values of the European ceramics industry, such as its respect for workers in the industry and their labour rights.
Currently, the European ceramic tile manufacturing industry accounts for over 53,000 direct jobs (15,000 in Spain) and it is estimated that for every direct job, three to four indirect and induced jobs are created.
This industry operates under strict labour regulations established by the European Union, which guarantee fair working conditions and health and safety, as well as promoting gender equality and non-discrimination.
All EU countries have their own regulatory framework aligned with EU labour laws, meaning that we have regulations such as the worker’s statutes in Spain (Estatuto de los Trabajadores) which govern fundamental aspects of employment such as contracts, working time, leave, holidays, grounds for suspension or termination of contracts and union rights.
Furthermore, sectoral collective bargaining agreements negotiated between companies and unions set the salaries, specific working time and other conditions specifically applicable to the industry.
Other laws such as the Social Security Law also guarantee rights such as disability or retirement benefits, and there are additional regulations covering specific labour situations.
In terms of occupational risk prevention, the European ceramics industry strictly follows the rules imposed by the European Union, assessing and mitigating possible risks to employees.
In Spain, the Occupational Risk Prevention Law and other regulations ensure high safety standards, supervised by the Labour and Social Security Inspectorate.
Some of the most widespread measures in the industry for protecting the health and safety of its employees are the mandatory use of PPE (personal protection equipment) such as safety boots, heat- and cut-resistant gloves, earplugs, and masks; as well as other physical protection elements such as safety barriers and other safety devices which function with photocells or laser sensors.
Another of the top priorities of the sector is looking after and facilitating the activities of workers. Thanks to constant innovation, the adaptation of production processes and the implementation of new automation and digitalisation technologies, it has been possible to significantly reduce physical exertion, meaning workers are fundamentally engaged in control and supervision tasks.
Furthermore, there is an extensive high-level training ecosystem for professionals who want to specialise in the industry. This includes university studies specialising in areas such as chemical engineering, industrial engineering, design and commerce, as well as vocational training courses aimed at better educating the professionals of the future. Ceramic clusters such as the Spanish ones benefit from technology institutions such as the ITC (Ceramics Technology Institute) which promote innovation and knowledge transfer among companies in the industry.
In addition to respect for the industry’s workers and their labour rights, with this new campaign, the industry is seeking to showcase all of the values, attributes and qualities which make European ceramics unique: respect for the environment, a commitment to technological development and innovation, respect for tradition and cultural heritage, attention to detail, and local roots. Throughout, it does so by making an emotional appeal to our sense of belonging, to our way of doing and creating things which is aligned with the principles which govern European society.
The campaign is composed of a main audiovisual piece with emotional content telling the story of how European ceramics are present in every moment of our lives, accompanying people from the perspective of the Secret Ingredient, where we underscore our tradition, customs and history, our social and environmental commitment and our respect for people. We do so by constantly shining the spotlight on European ceramics and raising awareness about what makes these ceramics unique materials: respect.
In addition to the main video, clips have also been produced to show “what lies behind” European ceramics, as told by workers in the industry – specialists who provide us with more detail on each specific area of European and Spanish ceramics production – opening the door to their experience and knowledge, and how each of them provides a “secret ingredient”: respect for the environment, respect for people, respect for ideas, and respect for customers.
All of the campaign videos in their different language versions are available on the landing page thesecretingredient.info, which is home to all of the campaign content and materials.
The campaign is active in Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain via digital platforms and amplified in traditional media. Furthermore, additional marketing and public relations actions will be carried out in order to impact the different target audiences, such as the distribution industry, the construction and decoration industry, and end consumers.
Campaign financed by the Generalitat Valenciana.
