ArcelorMittal Ostrava’s Employees: Safe Cyclists

Ostrava, August 5, 2008 – The employees of ArcelorMittal Ostrava, the biggest steel company in the Czech Republic, who often come to work cycling, can win free helmets and vests from their employer in August and September. “The project reflects that safety and health of our employees continues to be our top priority,” says Sanjay Samaddar, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ArcelorMittal Ostrava. “Very recently, we have set up, for the first time ever, a Safety leadership Group jointly led by Trade Union leaders and Senior Management representatives, which devote themselves intensively to improving the safety conditions in the company premises. In addition to that, we want our employees to be better protected on their way home as well,” adds Samaddar.

Bike helmets and vests will be given to those employees of ArcelorMittal Ostrava, who will meet the set conditions during August or September. Before they start making efforts, they need to collect the cyclist’s arrival card. After that the card will be stamped at the respective gate each day the person comes to work riding a bicycle. “For common shifts, the employee who wants to win the free helmet and vest has to come to work riding a bike on twelve days in one of the two months. For eleven-hour shifts it suffices if the employee rides a bike to work on eight days,” explains Ctirad Lolek, the Personnel Director of ArcelorMittal Ostrava.

The number of cards collected proves that the project has aroused enormous interest among employees: before the project was launched, the number of cards collected by steelworkers was nearly two and half thousand. “If for two months more than two thousand employees come to work riding a bicycle instead of coming by car, it will undoubtedly have a positive environmental effect on the region. It can be an example for other companies to follow,” says the Personnel Director. Besides the employees of ArcelorMittal Ostrava, the employees of its subsidiary ArcelorMittal Tubular Products Ostrava (former Tube Plant) based in the same premises, have also joined the project. “It is a pilot project and if it proves its worth, our subsidiaries in Frýdek-Místek and Karviná may also become involved,” adds Ctirad Lolek.

ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s. is the largest steel company in the Czech Republic and a part of the world’s largest steel group ArcelorMittal. The company produces more than 3 million tonnes of steel annually and exports approximately 60 per cent of its production to more than 80 countries all over the world. The company has 7,450 employees; the total number of employees including the subsidiaries is 10,300. Its major shareholders are MITTAL STEEL HOLDINGS A. G. (71.579 %), Havrton Investment Ltd. (13.881 %) and the Ministry of Finance (10.969 %). In the accounting year of 2007 (which ended on February 28, 2008), the company generated a consolidated profit (after taxation) of CZK 9.2 billion. Total revenues were CZK 57,7 billion. ArcelorMittal Ostrava is one of the biggest tax payers in the Czech Republic.