5.2.2020
A meeting of VÍTKOVICE STEEL management representatives, specifically PhDr. Kateřina Nogolová and Ing. Radek Strouhal, members of the Board of Directors, with Josef Středula, the chairman of CMKOS, was held on Monday, 3 February 2020. The visit and meeting were organized by Mr. Roman Ďurčo, the chairman of the Metallurgical Section of OS KOVO trade union.
The main points of the informal meeting were, besides the nostalgic return of the chairman Středula to his home corporation, mainly discussions on current political topics in relation to the functioning of VÍTKOVICE STEEL and its activities not only at the regional level.
The steel industry has been facing significant difficulties in recent months, which have not been felt by VÍTKOVICE STEEL much so far, and, thanks to its product portfolio, our company feels rather the opposite. Nevertheless, it was good to open the question of possible future risks arising from the outcome of e.g. the USA and China negotiations on further possible cooperation, of the EU and the Czech Republic's actions in relation to the so-called “Green Deal”, that is namely in relation to environmental pressures that are quite hard to resolve in certain specific cases, such as those faced by companies of VÍTKOVICE STEEL type, due to historical obligations; the issue of a higher-level collective agreement was marginally opened, and so on…
The company presented its investment plans for the coming years and at the same time mentioned the fundamental links to the development of the political and economic situation. Compared to other companies active in the region, the decline in the steel industry has not significantly affected the company yet; however, it is necessary to emphasize specific topics, such as support of local producers not only in the Czech Republic but generally in Europe, on a broader political platform. Traditional employers, such as metallurgical and steel-making companies, need to be supported in relation to the new wave of environmental pressures, etc.
There has been a broad consensus on these issues, as well as an agreement on the harmonization of possible joint steps to open a public debate on local, national and European levels.
The consensus on the sustainability of not only production but also employment in the years to come has been transformed into an informal dialogue over the current challenges in the production, and the meeting was concluded by a tour of the main production lines: the heavy section line, the main area for production of sheet piles and the Quatro line for the production of high quality thick sheets.
