Our thanks go to all our employees worldwide for their efforts during this crisis.
As we approach the end of the year, I would like to share some thoughts on the current Covid-19 situation, and to emphasise the importance of supporting each other as we continue to navigate these new ways of working and living.
Over the past few months we have seen cases rising again in several regions, particularly in Europe where we are experiencing a second wave, with local restrictions having been re-imposed in response. Given what we all went through earlier in the year, I can well understand if people are finding this difficult to deal with. However, I believe there are reasons to remain calm. Although cases are increasing, this is in part due to increased testing, and fatality rates remain lower than earlier in the year. Doctors and scientists do now have a greater understanding of how the virus behaves, existing drugs have been identified as effective treatments and much progress has been made on a number of vaccines. I also believe that governments are trying their very best to minimise the impacts of partial and full lockdowns, and will try to navigate a path that allows economic activity to continue whilst still prioritising and protecting people’s health.
Nevertheless, it is critically important that we remember everything we have learned about the actions we can take to minimise our risk of catching the virus. It is human nature to follow the rules at first and then to relax our behaviour as time goes on. I think we all know by now what we ought to be doing, so let’s all make every effort to follow the advice and rules and keep ourselves, our friends, our family and our colleagues safe. Wear that mask, wash your hands regularly, carry hand gel and maintain social distance. These actions do make a difference.
It is often the case that crises bring out the best in people, and I have been really impressed by the way that people have bonded together and supported one another. I have heard people say that they feel more connected to colleagues than ever, that they have learnt new skills which make them more effective, and that they have surprised themselves by how they have adapted to very difficult circumstances.
Recognising such positive aspects is very important, and this is something we aim to convey in our current internal engagement campaign, ‘Embracing New Ways’. The campaign invites employees to consider and share how they have adapted to new ways of working, to value what they have learned and discovered during this process, and take pride in their achievements since the start of Covid-19. By doing so, we hope to keep the positive learnings of the pandemic front of mind at a time when many of us face continued adjustments to how we live and work.
I would like to thank everyone at ArcelorMittal for all you are doing to support the company. I remain very proud of our people and proud of what we are achieving together.
We would like to recognise the resilience and flexibility of our global workforce, whose health and well-being is our first priority. Where possible, employees are working remotely from home. Where assets continue to operate, we are following the recommendations from government as well as the World Health Organisation. We appreciate this brings new challenges for everyone and are working together as a community to support each other through these unprecedented times.
Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic this year, the ArcelorMittal community has shown solidarity and resilience throughout. Together, we have supported our family, friends and colleagues, and surprised ourselves with our ability to adapt in the face of adversity.
In time life will be normal again, but we should remember what we have learned: new skills, a fresh appreciation for our team, and an understanding that there are always different ways of doing things. Together, we are #EmbracingNewWays - a movement we aim to convey in the launch video for our internal engagement campaign which you can watch below.
Benjamin Baptista Filho, President ArcelorMittal Brasil and CEO South America Flat Carbon
“I am proud and impressed by how quickly our people adapted to the new situation. Much has been learned from the pandemic, but the greatest and most striking lesson learned has been the huge commitment and dedication to the company that all our employees have shown within their day-to-day work. The experiences lived and shared in this time have allowed us to continue our processes and businesses but also increasingly strengthened the company reputation and image in the society. We are certain that all this learning and knowledge we have acquired will unfold into more and better results for everyone.”
Since our creation, the health, safety and well-being of our workforce has been ArcelorMittal’s number one priority. Today, given the unprecedented global health crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, that pledge has never been more important.
Having seen how quickly the virus has spread across the globe, it is unlikely that any country or individual will be immune to its impact. Indeed, the virus is present in all the countries where we produce steel. The challenge and responsibility we therefore have, to ensure the safety and well-being of our near 200,000 strong workforce, is paramount.
We are of course rigorously adhering to guidelines and recommendations from the World Health Organisation and the governments of the countries in which we operate. Moreover, we have implemented many measures at all our operating sites to proactively address health concerns and limit the possibility of the virus spreading. These include ensuring we have sufficient supplies of sanitation products and essential personal protective equipment, strictly following social distancing procedures, conducting enhanced and regular cleaning operations and monitoring the health of our employees when they enter and exit work premises.
We have also temporarily closed many offices, with people working from home under lockdown conditions which prevent them from leaving their homes aside for daily exercise and essential trips. This loss of social contact creates new challenges, and we are taking the time to listen to and understand our people’s concerns and provide them with the support, advice and guidance they need as they adjust to new and unusual working conditions.
Looking externally, the way our people and our operations are supporting the societal response to the pandemic is a source of great pride. Efforts have focused on collaborating to address the lack of required safety and medical equipment, using our global networks to facilitate the transfer of equipment to regions which are in most need and financial donations to healthcare facilities in our communities. We have also leveraged our research and development skills, designing and 3D printing ventilators and face shields, the latter of which are already in use by healthcare professionals and our steelworkers.
I am extremely proud of the collaborative and supportive efforts I have seen emerge from our employees in response to this crisis. The challenge we all face is unprecedented. But I believe the spirit and resilience I have seen amongst our people is the response we need to overcome the COVID-19 crisis, as we have overcome challenging periods before. My deep gratitude goes to them all.