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Dear colleagues, friends and readers of this site, I have recently read in an important newspaper that all commercial and industrial sectors are in crisis, but the pharmaceutical sector is not. The article in question which I quoted can be read in "Il Giornale" at the web address: http://www.ilgiornale.it/economia/produzione_industriale_a_settembre_giu_53_e_dato_peggiore
_90/economia-istat-industrial_production/10-11-2009/article-id=397983-page=0-comments=1.
Now reading the article carefully we learn that Istat has specified that it is the worst economic downturn since the beginning of the series. In the first nine months of the year, industrial production decreased compared to the same period of 2008 by 20.3% based on data adjusted for calendar effects and by 20.5% based on raw data. Food (+0.6% on August, +0.2 on September 2008) and pharmaceuticals (+6.7% on August, +5.9% on the year) went against the trend of the strong economic downturn.
Now, despite not having a specific degree in commercial economics, everyone can see how the pharmaceutical industry is in excellent health and does not show any sign of suffering or economic crisis, always maintaining strong growth month on month and compared to the mobile year taken into consideration by Istat.
We are tired of saying that the sector is not in crisis, shouting our anger from the rooftops at what is happening in the sector, but I wonder how it is possible that with this data within everyone's reach it is possible to witness the havoc that is affecting our sector?
Why do the Unions continue to co-manage redundancies with pharmaceutical companies in a sector that is clearly not in crisis?
Why then must the workers and the State pay an economic price and jobs for a non-existent situation which only serves to hide a managerial incapacity to manage a profound change in the sector?
Wouldn't it be easier to "fire" an imprudent, unthinking and opportunistic management rather than guilty ISFs? The economic and social cost would certainly be lower, less catastrophic and certainly better.
To these, as indeed to many questions that each of us asks ourselves every day, concrete and acceptable answers should be given, but I am sure that as always the silence that surrounds us will take over and as always we will find ourselves having to pull the chestnuts out of the fire by ourselves.
Umberto Alderisi
12.11.09
NR: the ISTAT data relating to industrial production was published on this site on 10/11/2009
