On September 8 and 9, ancient Banská Štiavnica came alive with the celebrations of miners, geologists, steelmakers and oilmen, also recalling the town's rich history and traditions, which have become familiar with the public as the Salamander Days.

The celebrations also included an official assembly at which the awards of the Minister for Trade and Industry SR “For Loyalty at Work” and “For Selflessness at Work” were presented to nine of our colleagues from U. S. Steel Košice and its subsidiaries: Albín Kočiš from the Steel Plants, Radovan Vida from the Finishing and Tin Mill Division, Jozef Kostišče from Transport, Filip Gordiak from Power Engineering, Milan Pituch from the Blast Furnaces, Jozef Kucko from OBAL-SERVIS, Darina Szalayová from U. S. Steel Košice – Labortest, Miroslav Dudjak from RMS and Milan Hlavna from the Hot Rolling Mill.

The celebrations culminated in the unique Salamander Parade, which of course involved the Košice steelmakers. At the head of the Parade was a group of young herdsmen led by a chief shepherd holding a lizard symbolizing the legend of discovery of the treasures of the Štiavnica lands and the origin of the local mines.