OREANDA-NEWS. Konecranes Plc's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders 2012 decided to implement an Employee Share Savings Plan in the Konecranes Group (the Plan). The first Plan Period 2012-2013 was followed by second and third Plan Periods 2013-2014 and 2014-2015, respectively. In the Plan Period 2014-2015, the Plan was offered to approximately 11,000 employees in 44 countries. The employee participation rate is 15 percent globally and 33 percent in Finland. Through the Plan, approximately 2,000 employees have become shareholders in Konecranes. During the first Plan Period 2012-2013, approximately 81,000 Konecranes Plc's shares were acquired with the savings of the Plan participants. During the second Plan Period 2013-2014, approximately 102,000 Konecranes Plc's shares were acquired with the savings of the Plan participants.

On the basis of interest shown by the Group employees, the Board has decided to launch a new Plan Period. The new plan period will begin on 1 July 2015 and end on 30 June 2016. The maximum savings amount per participant during one month is 5 percent of gross salary and the minimum is EUR 10. Each participant will receive one free matching share for every two acquired savings shares. Matching shares will be delivered to a participant if the participant holds the acquired shares from the plan period until the end of the designated holding period, 15 February 2019, and if his or her employment has not ended before this date for reasons related to the employee. The total amount of all savings of the commencing plan period may not exceed EUR 8.5 million. The terms and conditions of the Plan Period 2015-2016 are unchanged from the previous Plan Periods.

An employee will participate in the Plan for one year at a time. Shares will be acquired with the accrued savings at the market price quarterly, after the publication dates of the Konecranes interim results, commencing in November 2015. Any dividends paid on purchased shares during the commencing Plan period will automatically be reinvested into additional shares on the following purchase date. These shares will have an equal right to matching shares.

The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held on March 26, 2015, that the Board of Directors be authorized to decide on directed share issue without payment needed for the implementation of the Plan.

"The Employee Share Savings Plan has been appreciated, and a significant number of our employees have become shareholders in Konecranes. Based on good experiences, we are happy to continue the Plan. We believe that the Plan will enhance our employee engagement throughout the world and at all levels of our organization", says Mr Pekka Lundmark, the President and CEO.