U. S. Steel Kosice President and Kosice City Mayor visit steelmakers
As has now become traditional, at the turn of the year the steelmakers spending New Year's Eve at the steelworks were visited in their workplaces by the President and top managers of the Company. In the late evening of Friday, December 31st, the teams of the departing afternoon and the arriving night shifts were greeted by George F. Babcoke, Miroslav Kiralvarga, Martin Pitorak, Vladimir Jacko and trade union leaders Mikulas Hintos and Juraj Varga. The workers were also able to meet the newly-elected Mayor of Kosice Richard Rasi. The visitors all thanked the steelmakers for the hard work they had put in during the preceding twelve months, and wished them all the best in the coming year.
USSK subsidiary companies - two million hours without accident
Two million person-hours without injury had been worked by the teams of U. S. Steel Kosice's subsidiary companies when they started closing for Christmas on December 22nd. The best results for the number of injury-free hours were achieved by U. S. Steel Kosice - Labortest, s.r.o. and Obal-Servis, a.s., and for the number of injury-free days by U. S. Steel Services, s.r.o. and U. S. Steel Kosice - Labortest, s.r.o. The last injury in these two companies occurred back in 2005. The subsidiaries have succeeded in achieving these positive results thanks to many years of proactive approach by management towards issues of occupational safety, and the commitment of their employees supported by the relevant units at USSK making constant efforts to improve safety standards in their workplaces.
Cokery employees successfully involved in reducing Company costs
During the 11 months to the end of last year, U. S. Steel Kosice Cokery employees became the fourth best team in the Company involved in the program of continuous costs reduction. Their contribution consisted of 23 cost-cutting projects, with 67 percent of the savings coming from projects focusing on improving yield and 29 percent from energy-saving projects.
Educational trail supported by USSK
The first neighborhood educational trail in Kosice was officially inaugurated and opened to the public at the Lakeside residential estate shortly before the Christmas holidays. This nearly 800-meter long trail includes five stops where visitors can find out information about the neighborhood and about the plants, trees, animals and even invasive plants in that locality. The information boards also feature entertaining tasks and questions. This educational trail has been prepared by pupils and staff at the Jenisejska Street Elementary School as part of their eology project called "You are Nature too", which won support from U. S. Steel Kosice in its "Where and how we're going to live" grant program.
Trade unionists visit children in foster home
Trade union members from the Cold Rolling Mill divisional chapter of OZ KOVO U. S. Steel Kosice have been working for the past 19 years with the foster home in Valaliky (previously located in Kosicka Nova Ves). Rolling mill employees regularly meet the children at Christmas time, for example to give them St. Nicholas candy packages, but also for various sporting activities. This year they visited the children the day before Christmas Eve, taking them gifts which the residents of the home had been dreaming of receiving.