We are fighting a virus. Are we going to win?
Actually, we are not fighting the virus itself because we are not medical professionals. Rather, we are defending ourselves against it and are learning to live and work in a dangerous environment. I urge everyone: do not share the virus. Share knowledge about how to avoid infection.
Are you scared?
I treat the threat very seriously.
Do miners treat it equally seriously?
Yes, they do. I get confirmation of this fact every time I talk to them during my visits to the mines.
Are the mines safe?
Safety in the mines depends first and foremost on the employees. The mine as such is not a source of infection. If no one brings the virus to it, everyone will be safe. That is why I urge all miners to take care of themselves, because only if they do, we will save jobs and health for all of us. Responsible behavior away from work will protect us all against infection at work. Since the very beginning, we have adopted the principle that the gate to our facility is our line of defense. Measurements of body temperature of entering miners, medical tents for suspected cases of coronavirus, an information campaign.
Does it work?
So far, so good. By the end of the first week of April, there was no information of any infection among the miners.
We have a very well organized defense system.
I warn everyone against excessive optimism. Our staff live their lives among their family members, friends and neighbors. They go grocery shopping. Despite the strict rules of organizing life during a pandemic, the risk of infection outside the workplace remains very high. This means that the risk of bringing the disease into the mine is also increasing. Which is why we keep urging the miners to self-control themselves. Measurement of body temperature before leaving for work, compliance with recommendations of disease control services away from work, application of prevention measures on a daily basis – these are the most effective ways to protect the mines.
Rules have been imposed by the JSW emergency response team and its counterparts in each mine. But what if a crowd gathers in front of the gate or in the line for the elevator?
You know, we all are learning how to deal with the current situation, because it is new to all of us and keeps posing new challenges every day. Have lines formed at the gates? Indeed, they have, but let us be honest, they have not formed by themselves but by employees who sometimes failed to comply with the rules established by security services. But I can say with satisfaction that our successful information campaign explaining the principles of prevention has resulted in some positive effects. Today, those lines are a memory from the past.
There has been a lot of excitement lately about rumors that employees will be punished for their online activity.
I want to deny these rumors very strongly. It is not about “online activity” but about fake news. Do you think, for instance, that sending out text messages spreading misinformation that our mines will be locked down on 6 April is indifferent to the company? Well, it is not! This misinformation was all the more harmful that its author pretended to act in the name of the emergency response team. Online hate and fake news about actions aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus undertaken by the JSW emergency response team and its counterparts in each mine may result in irreversible losses. The objective of the Management Board, the JSW emergency response team, the emergency response teams in the mines and management in each mine is to provide maximum protection to JSW’s most valuable resource, namely its employees, to ensure the necessary safety for miners and to protect jobs. We are at war against an invisible enemy! Only the discipline and reasonable behavior on the part of our employees give us a chance to create a safe work environment. We must be consistent and disciplined in this fight or else we will be defeated in this war. In my opinion, anyone who promotes to chaos “unsubscribes” himself or herself from the JSW community. In human history, this is the first pandemic to spread across the globe so rapidly. No one has an off-the-shelf solution to it. What have we chosen in this situation? To respond to the threat in a reasonable manner. I thank our employees for their being careful and responsible and for keeping up a strong work ethic.
On the occasion of Easter, I wish you faith and hope that we will all come out of this difficult period unharmed. I admit that I pray for this every day and I am not ashamed to talk about it.