The worldwide spread of COVID-19 has severely tested the resilience of an entire country, a continent and the world and is forcing the global economy to face a phenomenon as serious as unexpected. To date it is almost impossible to evaluate the impact that the virus will have on the planet's economy, as there are still too many unknowns and variables that this poses.
However, the wood-furnishing sector believes it is necessary to start thinking about a new phase, which will allow Italians to return to their life, social and productive, always with the maximum respect of all the countermeasures that will have to be taken because of COVID-19.  One of the most urgent decisions to be taken concerns the resumption of the country's productive activity, a very important choice that will deeply affect the industrial, economic and social future.
For this reason Federlegno-Arredo urges the resumption of production activities through the publication of a manifesto to safeguard the safety of workers without further compromising the economic situation of the sector.
For their part, some of the leading companies in the design sector (B&B Italia, Bisazza, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Flexform, Giorgetti, Molteni Group, Poltrona Frau) have formed a group to loudly call for a gradual and safe reopening as soon as possible.

“Let's reopen Made in Italy“: FederlegnoArredo's manifesto

“Let's reopen the Made in Italy“: this is the title of the eight-point poster developed by FederlegnoArredo, published on Saturday, April 11th in some of the main Italian newspapers.
With this appeal to the government, the Federation, which represents the wood-furnishing sector, asks that the safety of workers can be safeguarded without compromising even more the survival of our country's excellence.
Let's take a brief look at these eight points of the FederlegnoArredo Manifesto.
- Schedule and make official the date of reopening of the entire wood-furniture sector with all its Ateco codes to avoid losing orders and international relations that risk irreparably favouring competitors from other countries currently open such as Germany and France.
- The companies in the wood-furniture sector are already equipped with strict safety tools and protocols that ensure adequate levels of protection and containment of the contagion, in full compliance with the “Protocol for the regulation of measures to combat and contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus in the workplace“ in force since March 14.
- Smart working will continue to be used to increase the level of security, pending a gradual recovery and integration of activities that are not strictly “productive“.
- Reopen also the points of sale of furniture and furnishings, office furniture, lighting, sunscreens, bathroom accessories, fixtures, wood, panels, in full compliance with the rules of safety and hygienic prevention.
- Restart the activities of warehouses and logistics, to allow the storage of all that material currently in transit from countries for which it was not possible to foresee the stoppage of shipments.
- Reopen the construction sites, guaranteeing all health safety.
- The companies in the wood-furniture sector will be very correct in respecting the commitments undertaken towards suppliers: maximum seriousness on the part of the companies in respecting payments to their suppliers within the limits of available resources as was done for the deadlines at the end of March.
- Willingness to collaborate with institutions, creating comparison tables for the design and testing of tools and technological applications that can map and contain the spread of the virus.

“Design does not give up“: the appeal of nine leading companies  

A number of leading companies in the design sector (B&B Italia, Bisazza, Boffi, Cappellini, Cassina, Flexform, Giorgetti, Molteni Group, Poltrona Frau) have come together to form a group with the main objective of ensuring production recovery to prevent a major human and social tragedy from turning into a consequent industrial and economic tragedy. For decades now, companies in the sector have been competing in a global market populated by global competitors. This month of closure has meant that it has been impossible for Italian companies to comply with orders signed and to honour the delivery terms of the goods foreseen in the orders and projects.
If the closure were to continue, it is feared that the Italian industrial system would continue to hold up; many competitors, for example in Germany and Scandinavia, continue to operate regularly during this period and may grab orders and orders that would otherwise go to Italian companies.
For this reason, companies in the furniture and design sector are asking institutions to begin a process of progressive and safe reopening as soon as possible. For their part, they ensure that there will be the maximum effort to be able to reopen and start again stronger than before, in the knowledge that only together can we continue to prosper.