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KAZ Minerals respects the right to freedom of association and we consult with our employees and trade unions about changes to our business and employment conditions.
Several communication channels are open to employees to make their views known to senior management and the Board. The first point of contact is with an employee’s line manager, and in most cases, this is sufficient for addressing employee concerns. The Group generally holds a Direct Line event every year in which the Chair answers questions from employees on a live video feed. Each of the Group’s operational divisions has a Head of Employee Relations whose role is to act as a liaison between employees and management. General Directors hold quarterly ‘town hall’ meetings. Outside of operational or human resources related enquiries, all employees have access to a confidential telephone reporting line (‘Speak Up’) which can be used to raise ethical concerns, including any concerns related to bribery and corruption.
KAZ Minerals respects the right to freedom of association, and we consult with our employees and trade unions about changes to our business and employment conditions. All employees are entitled to join a union of their choice. At 31 December 2023, 59% of the Group’s employees belonged to one of three trade unions active in the mining industry in Kazakhstan (2022: 60%).
The Group uses a number of channels to communicate with its staff including websites, intranet sites, WhatsApp message groups, a corporate newsletter, TV news, a YouTube channel and a corporate podcast. Each of these communication channels has certain strengths which are suitable in different scenarios.
Each year a Direct Line event is held giving employees the opportunity to put questions to senior management via a video link.
‘‘This event is very useful for me because it is an opportunity to hear what people think, how they live, what challenges they face and how I can help them. Employees can hear directly from me what the future holds for the company and how we are going to develop over the coming years.’’
The Chair, Oleg Novachuk, generally conducts a question and answer session with employees, known as the Direct Line, each year.
Any employee, regardless of location or seniority is able to ask questions via videoconferencing or by email.
The Direct Line has become an important tool of communication between employees and the leadership. By creating an honest and open dialogue, the leadership team is able to receive feedback, to get to know their employees better, and to take measures to improve the working environment.
The Group’s senior leadership wants to ensure that all of its employees know what is happening across KAZ Minerals and that they can give their opinions and suggestions. The Direct Line has enabled employees to voice their opinions, to get their opinions heard, and to be confident that their opinions will be taken seriously.
This initiative has grown significantly since its launch in 2015. The audience has increased since then, with an improvement in video quality and expanded coverage, including direct translation into Kazakh, Russian and English. Topics of conversation cover both day-to-day concerns, including wages and organisational matters, as well as strategic matters such as the Group’s plans for the future, labour relations and corporate values.
Over the years, the Direct Line's influence has resulted in a number of employee-driven changes in KAZ Minerals – from the construction of new sports and leisure facilities at the Group’s operations and parks in rotational camps, to the alteration of procurement procedures.
Outside of operational or human resources related enquiries, all employees have access to a confidential telephone reporting line (‘Speak Up’) which can be used to raise ethical concerns, including any concerns related to bribery and corruption. All Speak Up reports are investigated, and the Audit Committee receives regular updates on issues raised. KAZ Minerals is dedicated to cultivating an atmosphere of transparency in all its operations and ensuring the highest standards of integrity. The Speak Up policy encourages every employee to raise any concerns about any incidents of malpractice and misconduct.
KAZ Minerals publishes a quarterly newspaper for its employees, which is available online and in print format. The purpose of the corporate newspaper is to keep the workforce up to date with events and developments across the Group, with news from different sites.
The Group maintains an intranet, accessible to employees, where users can share information and resources. It is used to post announcements, updates and reminders, and provides the Group with improved efficiency as well as better collaboration and communication.
KAZ Minerals has its own YouTube channel, it is a powerful tool for us to communicate with our employees, as well as with a wide audience of stakeholders. With an ever-growing audience, our YouTube channel is a useful platform to showcase our business activity and progress.