OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2011. OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel (hereinafter – MMC Norilsk Nickel, the Company, or the Group) shall spend RUB 1.7 billion for recreation of its employees and their families. The major part of the corresponding financial means has been already allotted, reported the press-centre of Norilsk Nickel.

For many years MMC Norilsk Nickel and its subsidiaries have been implementing special health and resort programs for employees and their families. These programs are a priority for the Company’s social policy as the life in harsh climatic conditions of the Extreme North and the specific features of labour at the Company’s facilities call for special care for the employees’ health.

In summer, MMC Norilsk Nickel paid for vacation of 4421 persons in Bulgaria and Spain. The Company allotted RUB 216.5 million for this purpose. Another RUB 41 million shall be allotted for the winter vacation of over 500 people in Thailand.

MMC Norilsk Nickel transferred RUB 159 million for children vacations. Over 1500 children of the Group employees enjoyed their time in Vita summer camps (Anapa), Orlyonok All-Russian Children Centre (Krasnodar Territory), Sportcamp (Lutraki, Greece). Furthermore, the employees’ children travelled to health resorts free of charge via the airlines, owned by the Group.

One of the most popular vacation destinations among the employee is Zapolyarje health resort (Sochi). 20 808 people shall stay in that resort in 2011. Over RUB 1.2 million are transferred to pay for that. Another RUB 65.6 million shall be spent for vacation of over 1 500 employees in health resorts of Altay Territory (Belokuriha and Russia resorts), Caucasian Mineral Waters (Zori Stavropolja and Rodnik), Novgorod (Staraya Russa), and Leningrad region (Severnaya Riviera).

In total, MMC Norilsk Nickel health vacation programs for employees and their families shall cover over 29 thousand people this year. The average headcount of the Group employees was 82 thousand people in July.