ArcelorMittal South Africa 2007 Sustainability Report Page 20 Engaging people in the workplace Similarly, the company sustains employees and contractors by providing them with employment and a means of livelihood. Recognising that its own growth, ongoing sustainability and success are directly reliant on its people, and in keeping with its commitment to the principles of good corporate citizenship, ArcelorMittal South Africa has invested in securing the safety, welfare, development and growth of all its employees. This commitment extends to all contractors who are included in all relevant statistics and reports. Structures to facilitate understanding A fine understanding of the most material issues facing employees is needed if the company is to meet this goal. This requires a relationship with all staff and contractors based on open and constructive, two-way communication. To this end, numerous internal committees and forums facilitate discussions between management and staff at all levels on the issues of safety, health, training and development and employment equity. These structures give employees and contractors a platform to raise issues of concern and afford the company the opportunity to take these on board when making decisions on such issues and, in turn, communicate important information about policies, procedures and changes that may occur. In addition to these formal structures, ArcelorMittal South Africa is committed to the roll-out of an employee engagement strategy which was finalised in 2006. During the year under review, the company continued to conduct surveys among employees to identify barriers to engagement. Some of these barriers – such as lack of communication, and work-life balance issues – are within the scope and control of the various functional management teams and corrective action plans are already being implemented by task teams that have been set up for that purpose. Others, however, which include issues relating to lack of strategic alignment, quality of leadership, and remuneration disparities to the external market, require company-wide interventions and fall within the scope and control of senior top management. To address these, the company has designed targeted interventions which are in various phases of implementation. One of the most valuable findings arising out of the employee engagement research process was the fact that sustainable leadership commitment and advocacy is vital to the establishment of a culture of meaningful engagement at ArcelorMittal South Africa. As a result, the company commenced with a three-year programme to build leadership capacity in this regard. This programme will encourage managers and leaders to act as conduits of employee commitment; facilitating greater understanding of and alignment to the organisation’s strategic intent; and promote a “One Company Philosophy”. The employees and contractors of ArcelorMittal South Africa play an integral role in the success of the company, providing it with the skills, expertise and manpower to drive profit and sustain its position as an industry leader.