15 September, 2011
The ArcelorMittal Health and Safety Committee, created in June 2008 in a common effort by the company and unions to improve safety in ArcelorMittal, issued its first report of activities on 15 August called “Together for Safety.” The number of fatalities has declined since 2008, but remains unacceptably high in the company.
In 2008, ArcelorMittal management and unions signed an agreement to create a Joint Health and Safety Committee to address the high number of fatalities in the company’s units. The Committee is composed of representatives of the IMF, the European Metalworkers’ Federation, the United Steelworkers (USW), CNM-CUT, a mining area representative, and company Health and Safety representatives.
On 15 August, the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee launched its first report, concluding it has had a positive impact on the number of fatalities, which it ascribes to good workplace cooperation between trade unions and management.
Since its inception, the Committee has created local health and safety committees and made site visits in priority company sites in Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic, Romania, South Africa, USA, Argentina, and Ukraine. During these visits, local union members and management met with committee members to review the local safety situation and develop a health and safety action plan. The committee has then arranged follow-up visits.
The committee concludes that it has had a positive impact on the number of accidents in the workplace, especially fatalities, and helped reduce risk faced by workers. It has also helped to improve communication and cooperation between unions and management, locally and globally.
The committee, however, also notes an increase in the number of fatalities in the last year – from 36 in 2009 to 41 in 2010, which is considered to be unacceptably high by both unions and management.
There remain issues of dispute between unions and management. The company has publicised a set of “Golden Rules” for safety and associated actions, including penalties for violations, while unions fear that this violations policy will impede safety by dissuading workers to report about minor accidents and near misses, thereby creating a lazy safety management culture.
There is also joint criticism of inconsistent responses to requests for health and safety training, and a deficient dialogue on the subject at some business units and work sites.
The parties remain committed to the committee’s work, and see the joint report and accompanying union and management statements as evidence for a working dialogue and commitment to building a positive workplace culture.
The report, “Together for Safety,” has been issued in English, and will be published also in French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.
For further details, contact Joint Committee co-chair Rob Johnston at [email protected].
In 2008, ArcelorMittal management and unions signed an agreement to create a Joint Health and Safety Committee to address the high number of fatalities in the company’s units. The Committee is composed of representatives of the IMF, the European Metalworkers’ Federation, the United Steelworkers (USW), CNM-CUT, a mining area representative, and company Health and Safety representatives.
On 15 August, the Joint Global Health and Safety Committee launched its first report, concluding it has had a positive impact on the number of fatalities, which it ascribes to good workplace cooperation between trade unions and management.
Since its inception, the Committee has created local health and safety committees and made site visits in priority company sites in Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mexico, Czech Republic, Romania, South Africa, USA, Argentina, and Ukraine. During these visits, local union members and management met with committee members to review the local safety situation and develop a health and safety action plan. The committee has then arranged follow-up visits.
The committee concludes that it has had a positive impact on the number of accidents in the workplace, especially fatalities, and helped reduce risk faced by workers. It has also helped to improve communication and cooperation between unions and management, locally and globally.
The committee, however, also notes an increase in the number of fatalities in the last year – from 36 in 2009 to 41 in 2010, which is considered to be unacceptably high by both unions and management.
There remain issues of dispute between unions and management. The company has publicised a set of “Golden Rules” for safety and associated actions, including penalties for violations, while unions fear that this violations policy will impede safety by dissuading workers to report about minor accidents and near misses, thereby creating a lazy safety management culture.
There is also joint criticism of inconsistent responses to requests for health and safety training, and a deficient dialogue on the subject at some business units and work sites.
The parties remain committed to the committee’s work, and see the joint report and accompanying union and management statements as evidence for a working dialogue and commitment to building a positive workplace culture.
The report, “Together for Safety,” has been issued in English, and will be published also in French, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.
For further details, contact Joint Committee co-chair Rob Johnston at [email protected].