Contribution to society
The Company, caring for the local communities in which it operates, has adopted social solidarity actions.

Today more than ever, as the country is going through a period of persistent recession, the Company is aware of the fact that the communities furthest away from urban centres are more grievously affected and accordingly takes actions to support them.

An added concern for the Company is to support local employment, and to this end it recruits staff from the local communities neighbouring its two largest production plants and sources material and services from local suppliers.

In particular, is the areas neighbouring the Almyros, Magnissia, and the Thessaloniki plants, special emphasis is placed on assisting the well-being and improving quality of life for the local communities.  Social contribution actions include:

  • Solidarity actions
  • Support of local suppliers
  • Support of employment in local communities

Solidarity actions
The Company responds to the needs of local communities and tries to cover the needs of local bodies and associations through financial contributions and through the volunteering support of its employees.

In addition to the actions initiated by the Company, a specific procedure is followed to address social requests to ensure that the needs of local communities are systematically recorded and that the Company is prepared to respond to them effectively. In the selection process priority is given to actions, events, objectives or programmes in which employees of the Company participate, and to requests aligned with the principles and objectives of the Company’s Code of Conduct.

In particular, on an annual basis, the Company takes concerted action to support the spiritual, athletic, cultural and social life of local communities.

Culture
The Company supports activities and events aiming at the preservation and promotion of the history and culture of the local communities in which it operates. In this context are taken actions, such as:

  • donations for the staging of cultural events (traditional music festivals, fairs with traditional / local produce, etc.)
  • financial contribution to assist the aims of local cultural associations

In 2013 and 2014, the Company sponsored several actions organised by cultural bodies in the areas where Sidenor Steel Industry and Sovel operate.

Sports
The Company sees sports as a valuable social asset, which should be accessible by all. Accordingly, it supports actions and initiatives which include:

  • providing assistance to local sports clubs in meeting their objectives
  • providing assistance to sports clubs for people with different abilities in meeting their objectives
  • providing assistance to sports events (e.g. marathon, volleyball tournament, etc.)
  • construction and/or maintenance of sports facilities
  • donation of sports equipment

Education
The Company supports the educational system, which fosters creativity and learning among children and the young, in every way and by any means.

Specifically, the Company provided financial aid to the University of Thessaly to cover basic shortages in stationery and technological equipment. In Thessaloniki, donations in kind for the construction and reconstruction of parts of buildings were received by the Kalamaria Primary School (flats), the Afidnes Primary School (rods) and the Evosmos Primary School (rods). Moreover, the Company has supported financially the association of parents and guardians of the Primary School of the Municipality of Almyros, and the association of parents of PWD children, to organise dances and theatre performances for the pupils.

Infrastructures
The Company supports programmes of a social nature in order to help improve the quality of life in the local communities where it operates. More particularly:

  • it supports social solidarity programmes
  • it supports the work of organisations with recognised experience in dealing with social problems
  • it supports vulnerable groups
  • it assists the work of organisations that care for the environment and for Sustainable Development

Since 2012, the Company has been supporting with foodstuffs and other necessities the Social Grocery service of the Municipality of Almyros, and providing financial assistance to families in need. Moreover, responding to the needs of the Almyros Health Centre, in 2012 the Company donated an ambulance. This is the second ambulance donated to the Almyros Health Centre. In the same year, the Company provided financial assistance to the Red Cross.

Additionally, the Company has made donations in kind from among its products and services, according to the needs of the association or other body concerned, to support the improvement of infrastructures in the local administrative areas and in the region.

Volunteerism and other actions
Employees participate in the planning and implementation of social actions. As residents themselves of areas where the Company operates, and members of the local communities, they have a direct knowledge of the shortages local bodies and Municipalities have and therefore they can propose relevant support actions.

The most important voluntary action carried out with the help of employees is blood donation, an action consistently supported by the Company. We should note that voluntary blood donations are performed every year at the Almyros, Magnissia, and Thessaloniki plants. The table below shows cumulatively the active participation of employees in voluntary blood donations and the number of bags collected each year, with the aim to help out fellow humans in need.

The Company’s objective is to keep up voluntary blood donation events and to organise them more than once a year. In 2014, two voluntary blood donations were carried out in the Thessaloniki plant.

Employees, showing their sensitivity and unfailing attention to environmental issues, participate in relevant events organised by the Company. In 2013, the Company organised a tree planting event in Thessaloniki with the help of associations of parents and guardians from the wider area.

Recruiting staff from the local communities
The Company tries to hire people from the local communities wherever possible. Specifically with regard to Sidenor Steel Industry, 72.4% of total human resources come from Thessaloniki (20.3% from Attica and 7.3% from the rest of Greece), and with regard to Sovel 96.9% come from the prefecture of Magnisssia (the remaining 3.1% from Attica). Moreover, 100% of directors and senior management come from the local communities.

Support of local suppliers
The Company wants its business activities to be in a positive and productive interaction with the social environment and to bring benefit to the local communities wherever it operates. To that end it seeks to work with local suppliers, whenever possible. Specifically, in 2014 77% of total purchase costs in Sidenor Steel Industry was channelled to local suppliers, 39% of which to suppliers in the prefecture of Thessaloniki. As to Sovel, 49% of total purchase costs involved local suppliers, 4% of which suppliers in the prefecture of Magnissia.