OREANDA-NEWS. Mechel OAO (NYSE: MTL), one of the leading Russian mining and metals companies, announces the launch of a pilot project on stepping up the efficiency of measures for improvement of labor conditions at the Group's enterprises.

The project will be implemented jointly with Russia's Federal Labor and Employment Service as part of that agency's new activity model - Open Labor Inspection, which is due to be set up in the Russian Federation by 2018.

Mechel Group was chosen for implementing this project as one of Russia's major employers, with activities involving diversified industrial facilities.

As part of the project, a monitoring will be held in 2014, analyzing work conditions and labor safety systems in 21 of Mechel's facilities. As a result, a comprehensive plan for improving work conditions will be designed, taking into account the newest amendments to Russian labor law.

“We are grateful to Russia's Labor and Employment Service for choosing Mechel as one of Russia's major employers for testing their new project. Our company consistently implements promotion programs for our personnel, educational and social programs. We invest a lot of effort into creating comfortable work conditions for our employees and strictly comply with all labor law requirements. Implementing this project will enable us to improve work conditions and efficiency of our employees' labor safety activities,” Mechel OAO's Vice-President for Human Resources and Social Policy Elena Selivanova commented.