NORNICKEL ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
MMC Norilsk Nickel (MNOD)
NORNICKEL ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
25-March-2020 / 11:30 MSK
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PRESS RELEASE
25 March 2020
Public Joint Stock Company "Mining and Metallurgical Company "NORILSK NICKEL" (PJSC "MMC "Norilsk Nickel", "Nornickel" or the "Company")
NORNICKEL ANNOUNCES MEASURES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND PARTNERS DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Moscow - PJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel the world's largest of palladium and high-grade nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper, has announced measures to counter the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic amongst its personnel and partners.
Despite Nornickel's operations are functioning in the ordinary and usual course, the continued health and safety of our personnel remains our absolute priority. In order to both protect the well-being of the Company's employees and to ensure the continuity of business processes during the spread of the novel coronavirus, Nornickel has established an emergency response team (ERT) consisting of heads of business units and chaired by the First Vice-President for corporate security Sergey Barbashev.
The ERT is responsible for ensuring that production, procurement, sales and marketing activities proceed as usual and that necessary measures are undertaken to protect health of the employees. The ERT has a mandate to develop and implement plans to achieve the aforementioned goals and to guarantee that measures are enforced unconditionally throughout the Company. Similar regional ERTs have also been established at major operation sites.
"Our number one value is the life and health of all employees and providing them with favourable and safe working conditions is our key priority. We are closely monitoring the situation with coronavirus and are ready to fully cooperate with federal and regional authorities to deliver maximum efficiency on measures taken to deal with pandemic," said Sergey Barbashev.
Nornickel has undertaken the following priority measures that aimed at protecting the health of all employees and mitigating the scale of virus spread in Moscow and other regions of Russia:
The employees of Nornickel's Moscow headquarter were promptly transitioned to remote work. Employees of the Company's regional sites are in the process of transitioning to remote work. IT department provides employees with necessary technical means for efficient remote work. All employees working remotely maintains 100% of their salaries. Nornickel cooperates with local authorities in the regions of its operations to implement measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. In order to provide local healthcare institutions with necessary medical equipment and supplies the Company allocated more than 200 million roubles in charitable aid for these purposes. In particular, Nornickel plans to finance the purchase of 30 ventilators. The ongoing shift of Bystrinsky GOK employees is extended until April 30 for a total duration of 45 days. Employees returning from countries with reported coronavirus infection cases (both business and personal trips) have been requested to self-quarantine for fourteen days. Introduction of ban on business trips abroad and reduction of number of business trips within Russia. Recommendation to Nornickel's customers and partners to cancel visits the Company's premises and prioritise remote video and audio communication. Cancellation of all public events or making them virtual. Installation of hand sanitizers and thermal scanners to measure employees' temperature as well as reinforcement of enhanced hygienic measures in all premises. Introduction of routine medical examination of employees. A 24/7 hot line to provide employees with information on measures to be taken to mitigate the risks of the pandemic. Prompt assistance to employees in countries with most unfavourable COVID-19 epidemiologic situation Nornickel's subsidiury that operates the fiber-optic internet line between Novy Urengoy and Norilsk expanded its digital communication capacities for the Great Norilsk Area by 30% free of charge. This measure will be valid for the duration of the period indicated in Decree 54 by the Krasnoyarsk governor "On organizing and implementing measures aimed at preventing the introduction and spread of COVID-19 and on the timely detection and isolation of persons with signs of contamination throughout the Krasnoyarsk region". The World of New Opportunities corporate philanthropy programme implementation will be adjusted. The Company decided to provide repayment holidays on loans granted to entrepreneurs for the development of their businesses for a period of six months. The schedule of grantees' projects and events has been adjusted: some of them will be hed in virtual format, while others have been postponed until the end of the health crisis. Free corporate taxis for all employees of the head office whose duties cannot be performed remotely. Introduction and regular update of a special section to the corporate internet portal containing information on measures being taken by the Company to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as well as information on hotlines and instructions.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
PJSC «MMC «NORILSK NICKEL» is a diversified mining and metallurgical company, the world's largest producer of palladium and high-grade metal nickel and a major producer of platinum and copper. The company also produces cobalt, rhodium, silver, gold, iridium, ruthenium, selenium, tellurium, sulphur and other products.
The production units of «NORILSK NICKEL» Group are located at the Norilsk Industrial District, on the Kola Peninsula and Zabaykalsky Krai in Russia as well as in Finland and South Africa.
PJSC «MMC «NORILSK NICKEL» shares are listed on the Moscow and on the Saint-Petersburg Stock Exchanges. PJSC «MMC «NORILSK NICKEL» ADRs are traded over the counter in the US and on the London, Berlin and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges.
Media Relations: Investor Relations:
Phone: +7 (495) 785 58 00 Phone: +7 (495) 786 83 20
Email: pr@nornik.ru Email: ir@nornik.ru
ISIN: US55315J1025 Category Code: MSCM TIDM: MNOD Sequence No.: 54461 EQS News ID: 1006319
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