The European association for the self-adhesive label industry has issued the following statement:
Since the decision of the postponement of the FINAT Technical Seminar at the end of February, the spread of the Corona-virus has been accelerating around Europe. Meanwhile we have lost count of the number of national and international industry meetings, conferences, exhibitions and public events that have been cancelled and/or postponed. While still working on the postponement of the Technical Seminar, we are also reviewing the scenarios for the European Label Forum in Rome next June. And while writing this statement, the news reaches FINAT that also drupa has now been postponed to April 2021.
FINAT wishes to express its sympathy with the members of the European label community and their local associations that have been hurt and hit by the crisis, especially in Italy but increasingly also in other countries as Corona virus continues its journey around Europe and elsewhere.
Apart from the public health risk, the virus is now also spilling over into the real economy, and members of the label industry are taking measures to contain the risk for their staff’s well-being and their business’ continuity. In some cases more far-reaching measures are taken than those recommended or enforced by local governments and public health institutes.
Request to share best practices and experiences
What are YOU doing in your businesses to contain the spread of COVID-19? What works and what does not work? As the linking pin between associations, companies and their leadership, FINAT wishes to support the European label community by sharing the collective knowledge and best practices of the members for the good of the entire industry. We kindly invite the reader of this statement to submit their contribution to info@FINAT.com or via the social media platform where this message is also posted.
Latest news
Further measures at FINAT secretariat due to Covid19 virus
FINAT European Label Forum 3-5 June 2020 cancelled
CEPI letter to DG Grow
CEPI is calling DG Grow’s urgent support to keeping those parts of the European pulp and paper sector functioning that are essential and vital for the key activities in the society. Also the label sector plays a critical role in ensuring the safe supplies of food and pharmaceuticals and more that are vital for the European society. Annex 3 of the letter contains CITPA’s statement on behalf of the European paper and board converting industry. Read the whole letter here.
Experiences
UNFEA (France): Our organizations in the Paper and Cardboard sector work with the Ministers of Industry and the Economy to raise awareness of the vital activity of the Paper and Cardboard industries. This warning work is done now. We await the response of the French government. Employees in our production sites are staying at home more and more which will contribute to the decline in general activity. Our carriers are starting to slow down their journeys. We manage to have raw materials such as adhesive complex, inks and varnish but if there is no more transporter and not enough employees, we will no longer be able to produce adhesive labels for the pharma and food industries. Our staff unions do not want employees to work because of the danger covid-19. The leaders of our member companies try to reassure everyone and set up preventive actions for employees. The French government has said a lot on television that workers can stay at home with 90% of their salary to babysit and not get the virus. How do you motivate people to come to work when they are offered this? Even if the government declares our industries of public utility, there will always be the problem of employees.
