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2012-09-27 08:15:00 CEST 2012-09-27 08:16:11 CEST REGULATED INFORMATION Rautaruukki - Company AnnouncementRuukki is to initiate employer-employee negotiations within the steel business to improve efficiency - studies initiated to improve efficiency in administrationRautaruukki Corporation Stock exchange release 27 September 2012 at 9.15am EEST Ruukki is to initiate employer-employee negotiations affecting Ruukki Metals and the Marketing and Communications function. These negotiations are part of Ruukki's projects launched this year to improve the company's competitiveness. It is estimated there is a need for a total of 250 redundancies. In addition to the efficiency improvement programmes underway, studies are being initiated to improve efficiency also in corporate administration. Ruukki Metals is to initiate employer-employee negotiations concerning the efficiency of its operations. The negotiations affect most of Ruukki Metals' production organisation in Finland, which means a total of around 3,500 persons. The Raahe Works and Hämeenlinna Works are the largest units affected by these negotiations. An estimated maximum of 230 persons in all, of which 160 are workers and 70 salaried employees, are affected by the need for redundancies. In addition, employer-employee negotiations concerning lay-offs of the entire personnel will be initiated at the Kankaanpää and Pulkkila sites in Finland. Also employer-employee negotiations will be initiated in the Marketing and Communications function in pursuit of improved operating efficiency. The negotiations affect around 70 persons in Ruukki countries. An estimated maximum of 20 people in all will be affected by the need for redundancies. The negotiations now being initiated are part of Ruukki's projects launched this year to improve the company's competitiveness. The projects in the steel and construction businesses seek to achieve a total permanent annualised improvement of EUR 100 million in earnings performance and profitable business also when production is running at 80 per cent, which is low for the steel industry."The flexibility and savings now being sought are important for the competitiveness of our business and we have worked with the personnel to identify ways to improve efficiency. In addition to improving ways of working, our efficiency improvement targets also regrettably require redundancies. Our aim is to improve our long-term competitiveness, which requires a permanently lower cost level, in addition to the challenges already referred to earlier. On top of this, the Sulphur Directive, for example, threatens to increase future transportation costs within our steel production," explains Olavi Huhtala, Executive Vice President of Ruukki Metals. The negotiations seek savings totalling around EUR 10 million in annual costs and it is estimated that the cost cuts will be achieved in full during the second and third quarters of 2013. Efforts will be made to carry out some of the redundancies through retirement and by deployment. In addition to the efficiency improvement programmes underway, studies will be initiated to improve efficiency also in corporate administration. The study affects all administrative functions that serve the whole of Ruukki or its divisions. For further information, please contact: Olavi Huhtala, EVP, Ruukki Metals, tel. +358 20 592 9157 Rautaruukki Corporation Taina Kyllönen SVP, Marketing and Communications Ruukki provides its customers with energy-efficient steel solutions for better living, working and moving. Ruukki operates in some 30 countries and employs around 11,800 people. Net sales in 2011 totalled EUR 2.8 billion. The company's share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). DISTRIBUTION: NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Main media www.ruukki.com [HUG#1643936] |
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