The agreement recognises that people working for Arcelor lie at the heart of the company’s global success. Respect for ILO Conventions on freedom of association, collective bargaining, non-discrimination, and no forced or child labour are included in the agreement. Commitments on providing health and safety and life-long training for workers are also made in the agreement.

Arcelor is a major steel company that supplies the automotive, construction, household appliances and packaging industries. Based in Europe and with a major presence in Brazil, Arcelor employs 95,000 people in over 60 countries.

Rob Johnston, IMF Director for Steel, who represented the IMF at the signing ceremony in Luxembourg on September 12, welcomed the international agreement with Arcelor.

“This agreement not only recognises the vital importance of Arcelor’s workforce, but also sets out in clear terms how the company will respect its workers worldwide. We look forward to working with Arcelor to implement this agreement, the first of its kind in the steel sector,” said Rob Johnston.

Arcelor supports and encourages its contractors and suppliers to take the agreement into consideration in their own company policy. The agreement is indeed considered a foundation favourable to mutual and sustainable relations.

A copy of the agreement is published in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and Dutch on the IMF website.