‘MMK keeps investing in its social benefits packages as usual,’ Chairman of Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works (MMK) trade union committee Alexander Derunov announced at a meeting held by United Russia’s local members and Magnitogorsk Trade Union Association representatives.

Derunov explained that the enterprise had decided to prolong their Collective Agreement for 2009; meanwhile, the terms of this agreement are designed so as to protect the workers’ basic social welfare guarantees. As a matter of fact, MMK’s daughter enterprises will probably follow suit. What is more, the company has come up with a crisis-defying action plan that provides for meetings with MMK and its daughter enterprises’ staff, where the current state of events would be made clear to the workers and where the employees could also consult a number of experts. Alexander Derunov said the trade union heads were busy contributing to the anti-crisis committees and work teams’ efforts both on the regional and federal levels.