w/c 29 September 2008
Strategy News
PMI update from Gonzalo Galindo
I would like to update you on our progress with the initiative to ensure savings and
improvement opportunities that was announced last week. The good news is that, by the end
of August, we had made £11 million worth of savings across the UK business on the back of
initiatives, such as:
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Increased use of alternative fuels
Less disposal to landfill
Recovery of market share through better selling is helping to save claims
Our readymix wash waste initiatives are reducing waste
Increased fleet productivity
Reducing overtime and head count
While we are on track to make further savings by the end of the year, there is a need to
increase and accelerate these projected savings significantly to compensate for the continued
market downturn. I am confident that we will be able to find these savings and meet the
challenges ahead, but we must leave no stone unturned to improve on our expected
forecasts. I will continue to rely on your support, as your energy, enthusiasm and creative
thinking is critical to succeed during this difficult time.
Health & Safety
LTI free record now better than 2007 - let's keep up the good work
There were no lost time injuries to employees or contractors reported last week bringing the
total number of lost time injury free weeks in 2008 up to 20. The number of weeks without
lost time injuries to employees so far this year has increased to 26, 1 more than at this stage
last year.
Please keep supporting our target of zero injuries by looking after yourself and your
colleagues.
LTIs last week
Employees
Contractors
Total
Weeks without employee LTIs:
LTIs year to date
LTIs year to date
2008
2007
0
15
16
0
8
8
0
23
24
Year to Date 2008 =
26 Year to Date 2007 = 25
Caption competition
As part of our campaign to promote greater awareness of the importance of wearing the
correct PPE, we would like employees to come up with a suitable PPE related caption for this
photo:
The prize for the best caption is any item out of the Arco catalogue up to the value of £100.
To enter the competition, email your suggestion to Julie Welch at Julie.welch@cemex.com by
13 October 2008. The winner will be announced in a future edition of UK News.
To find out more about the importance of wearing the correct PPE, download the new PPE
Safety Essentials toolbox at the H&S Community by following this link , or contact your local
H&S rep.
Remember to get your flu jab
The Government's flu campaign is now underway. To
help employees, CEMEX will be offering a "flu jab" in
conjunction with our health services provider, Norwich
Union. A nurse will visit 16 CEMEX UK sites this
autumn. Before this happens, we will need a list of
employees at each site who want to take up the
vaccination. The treatment will require five minutes of
your time and is free.
Any employee who can travel to one of the locations
can register. If you wish to participate, please contact
your local coordinator by the date given below. Once
arrangements are finalized, they will let you know when
your appointment time will be.
CEMEX
Location
Barrington
Bristol
Burton-on-Trent
Rugby Office
Dove Holes
Oldbury
Preston Brook
Rugby Works
South Ferriby
Southampton
Stockton
Thorpe
Tilbury
Uddingston
West Burton
Wick
Coordinator
Contact No.
Tom Gemmell
Ann Ponting
Angie O’Neill
Anna Hughes
Helen Sanchez
Kathy Willcox
Lynn Smith
Maggie Sargeant
Diane Wright
Jennifer Rogers
Charlie Buck
Sabrina White
Gavin Cowen
Isabel Booth
Gary Adlington
Jayne Leaker
01223 870781
01454 451832
01283 517070
01788 517010
01298 77531
0121 5697451
01928 752752
01788 557753
01724 732434
02380 720207
01642 628200
01932 583143
07810 813119
01698 811118
01427 883240
01179 371170
Sign-up
deadline
03 October
03 October
24 October
24 October
24 October
03 October
01 October
24 October
01 October
24 October
24 October
24 October
01 October
03 October
24 October
03 October
Vaccination
date
17 October
24 October
14 November
07 November
21 November
24 October
17 October
6 November
7 October
18 November
14 November
6&7 November
7 October
23 October
20 November
24 October
Flu Facts
•
The vaccine is matched to the strain of flu which is expected this winter.
•
Immunisation gives good protection from flu and lasts one year because the virus that
causes flu changes.
•
The virus circulates every winter, usually over a period of a few weeks and, as a
result, a lot of people fall ill around the same time.
•
Your body starts making antibodies a week or 10 days after the injection.
•
Modern flu immunisation does not usually cause problems. You may experience a
slight soreness in your arm after the jab. Sometimes it can cause a mild fever (rise in body
temperature) or muscle aches for a day or so. Any other reactions are very rare.
•
There is no active virus in the jab so it can't cause flu, however people very
occasionally catch flu before the vaccine takes effect.
•
People with a serious allergy to hen's eggs or who have had a previous allergic
reaction to vaccine should consult their GP before considering vaccination.
•
Employees who are pregnant should also consult their GP before considering
vaccination
And finally: if you do get flu, how will you know?
•
Flu symptoms hit you suddenly and severely. They usually include fever, chills,
headache and aching muscles, and you can often get a cough and sore throat at the same
time.
Success Stories
DLR contract won
CEMEX Rail has successfully secured a contract with Carillion for the supply of approx 3000
EG80A Concrete Sleepers to Docklands Light Railway (3rd Car Enhancement Project). The
sleepers will be manufactured at our Washwood Heath factory in Q1 2009. It is anticipated
there will be further enhancements ahead of the 2012 Olympics requiring these types of
products and hopefully this will be a spring board to other sleeper contracts. This contract
further enhances CEMEX Rail reputation as the UK's leading manufacturer of Rail products.
CEMEX supplies £330m paper mill construction project
CEMEX is supplying materials, logistical and technical expertise for the construction of a large
£330 million recycled paper mill in Norfolk.
The mill is being built for German company Palm Paper on a 52 hectare site at King's Lynn.
During the 15 month contract, due for completion in July 2009, CEMEX is supplying more
than 110,000m³ of Readymix, aggregates for ground stabilisation, and cement to German
main contractor Glass GMBH, plus four piling sub-contractors.
One of the early challenges facing the Norfolk-based CEMEX team was ensuring an
adequate supply of Readymix to the site while an on-site batching plant was being
assembled. The CEMEX static plant at King's Lynn has been supporting the contract from the
outset, with as many as 20 delivering to the site at any one time. In the early stages concrete
pours of up to 1,000m³ within a 12 hour period were required, often at short notice.
Four CEMEX quarries - Watlington and Flixton in Norfolk, Baston (Lincs) and Bradwell
(Essex) - are providing a consistent supply of aggregates to both plants to cope with the large
volume pours.
Xypex Waterproof Concrete
Success in Wales
Carmarthen Concrete plant recently
completed a 600m3 pour of concrete
using Xypex for the redevelopment of
Carmarthen town centre.
The pour, for the contractors Jones
Brothers Henllan, required a
technically demanding concrete to
make a waterproof header tank for the
shopping centre's 'sprinker' system.
This pour is the first part of a total of
12,000m3 that CEMEX will be
delivering over the life of the project.
Xypex is a non toxic dry powder that is added to concrete to make it completely impervious to
the penetration of water and other liquids. It works by reacting with water and Portland
cement to fill the voids and micro cracks in concrete through the lifetime of the concrete. It is
ideal for any application where waterproofing is needed and has been used all over the world,
including for the construction of the Sydney Olympic stadium. It doesn't require any
membranes or complicated application from the ground workers and so reduces time and
labour.
Damien Kelly of SMR the suppliers of Xypex in
the UK had this to say of the contract; "We
couldn't ask for anymore from a Readymix
company, all issues were dealt with by CEMEX
very professionally, and the job went really
well."
Jones Brothers have been very pleased in
general with CEMEX's performance on site and
it is hoped that this great relationship continues
in the future. Other contractors are now
showing interest in using Xypex and the Welsh
sales team hopes that other applications can
be found for this unique additive.
People News
Starters and Leavers - Supervisor/Manager Responsibilities
The HR Department has recently published policies and processes about the administration
for new employees and leavers. Whilst most aspects of each process are not new, it is very
important that if you are a manager or supervisor, you fully understand and follow the correct
procedure.
The policies and processes have been sent to your VP/Director and are currently being
cascaded through your business area. However, if you have not received any information
about this yet, please ask your line manager about them.
Copies of these documents, along with a summary of Line Manager Responsibilities have
been placed on CEMEX Plaza, in the People area and your local HR Administrator will be
happy to provide guidance and support on any aspect of the New Starter and Leaver
Processes.
Organisational changes
Cement Operations & Technology
Fernando Enríquez, current Vice President of Cement Operations for the United Kingdom
and of Technology for the United Kingdom and Northern Europe, has been appointed Vice
President of Cement Operations for Spain and of Technology for Spain, Southern Europe and
Middle East, reporting to Joaquín Estrada, President for CEMEX in Spain, and on a
coordinated basis to Martin Langvad, Technology Vice President for Europe, Middle East,
Africa, Asia and Australia.
Luis Galan, current Operations Manager Rugby has been appointed Rugby Plant Director
reporting directly to Carlos Uruchurtu, Vice President of Cement Operations for the United
Kingdom and of Technology for the United Kingdom and Northern Europe. We congratulate
Luis and wish him success with his new responsibilities.
Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt Operations
Andy McAuley, formerly customer service trainer for the customer services centre in
Scotland, Readymix & Mortars has been appointed as Regional Trainer for Scotland,
Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt operations.
Paula Lucas formerly customer service trainer for the customer service centre in the North
East, Readymix & Mortars has been appointed as Regional Trainer for the North East
regional Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt operation.
Pat Hoffman formerly customer service trainer for the customer service centre in Eastern,
Readymix & Mortars has been appointed as Regional Trainer for the Eastern regional
Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt operation.
Lisa Fisher formerly customer service training manager for the customer service centre in
Western, Readymix & Mortars has been appointed as Regional Trainer for the Western
regional Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt operation.
John McGinnes formerly customer service trainer for the customer service centre in the
South East, Readymix & Mortars has been appointed as Regional Trainer for the South East
regional Readymix & Mortars and Aggregates & Asphalt operation.
These Regional Trainers will all now report to the National Process Manager, Christine
Newman.
New Car Rental partner selected for CEMEX in Europe
SIXT has been selected as the preferred Car Rental partner for CEMEX in Europe. The
effect takes place as of the 1 October. From then, any car or van rental requirements should
be booked with SIXT who replace the service previously provided by National Car
Rental. Employees can also benefit from business rates for their personal use using the
credit card booking web page below. Please note that business bookings should be made
using P Cards.
Sixt is one of the top 4 international car rental companies in the world. They are present in
87 countries worldwide and you can find Sixt locations in each European country. Sixt is
market leader in Germany, where its headquarters are located, and are the fastest growing
car rental company in Europe. Besides a premium fleet, Sixt offers you a high service quality
and many innovations that facilitate and speed up the rental process.
How to book a Car / Van?
There are 3 ways to book vehicles:
1)
Book on-line using P cards at:
http://www.sixt.de/cgiperl/rental/or?action=corp&kdnr=104142&passwd=CEMEX&language=en
2)
Book on-line using credit cards at:
https://b2b.e-sixt.de/php/partner/login?user=5215@9977412.de&password=CEMEX
3)
Book by telephone on 08701 567567 quoting CEMEX account number 104142
CEMEX get excellent additional discounts by booking on-line (circa 10%) plus it is fast and
easy. Please use this as your preferred booking method.
Please order your Sixt Cards at http://www.sixt.de/partner/cemex/cemex.php?lang=en
The Sixt Express Card captures your personal data, your CEMEX account number, and the
correct CEMEX negotiated rates. Therefore you can save time at the counter and you don’t
even need to present your credit card! The Sixt Express Card also enables you to:
•
use the Sixt express terminal and key safe to avoid waiting time at the counter
•
use the Sixt quick check-in by telephone
•
Benefit from bonus miles or points of Sixt’s partners, e.g. Lufthansa, Brussels
Airlines.
After five rentals, you automatically receive a Sixt Gold Card, and after 20 rentals it will be a
Sixt Platinum Card, granting you various advantages such as a free upgrade.
Sixt Emergency Assistance Number
08700 103044
Dell discounts - Get up to 10% off your next desktop or laptop
Dell's Employee Purchase Program offers you the opportunity to purchase Dell™ consumer
products at highly discounted prices. Visit http://www.dell.co.uk/epp for more information
Cash for Kids fund raising
Construction Services staff based at Sheffield have been holding dress down Fridays to
support a local charity.
Staff paying a pound to attend work on Friday's in their casual attire have decided to donate
the money raised to the charity Cash for Kids formally called Help a Hallam Child. Cash for
Kids is a charity that was started in the 1970's to support local disabled and disadvantaged
children in the Hallam area. This charity supports sick and needy children by providing grants
to individuals, other charities, groups and the health sector. Well done to Sheffield
Construction Services Staff for raising £350 to date supporting local children.
Site News
CEMEX presents Thorpe land to local community
CEMEX has recently transferred land at Ten Acre Lane in Thorpe, Surrey, to the local Scouts
movement to help secure the future of a hut where local Brownies, Cubs and Scouts have
been meeting for more than 40 years.
As part of our efforts to be a good neighbour, we marked the transfer in an informal ceremony
with more than 30 local children. This development marks a new beginning for the hut, which
can now be re-built.
Simon Barrett Director of Properties,
above with Elaine Gill, who attended
the ceremony said: "The Scouts and
Girlguiding movements make a
positive contribution to our community,
and we at CEMEX are pleased that the
future of the local hut has now been
secured. This means that local
youngsters can continue to benefit
from the activities that bring knowledge
and enjoyment to so many people."
Runnymede Independent Residents'
Group Councillor for Thorpe Ward,
Elaine Gill, has championed the local
Scouts movement for a number of
years. She said: "I am happy that
CEMEX has agreed to transfer this
land to the Cubs, Scouts and Brownies
of Thorpe. Although it is only a small piece of land, the handover creates big opportunities for
us. The fact that we now own it means that we can move ahead with our plans to renovate
the Scout Hut and the land around it, and in doing so, help improve the community for our
children."
John's rail rescue keeps aggregate shipments on track
When a section of rail split apart as a locomotive left the sidings at Dove Holes Quarry the
consequences could have been disastrous.
With as many as eight freight trains a days, each carrying up to 2,000 tonnes of quarried
stone, there was an imminent risk of a derailment, causing major, costly delays to the
aggregate shipping operation.
But luckily chargehand John Carr
had spotted the damage - and led
a recovery operation that saved
CEMEX thousands of pounds in
missed aggregate consignments.
The drama began in the late
afternoon, giving Network Rail no
time that day to deploy the
necessary resources or materials
to repair the 3ft of track that had
collapsed. Undaunted, John
assessed the damage and
immediately set about
improvising a solution. He found
a piece of old rail in the Dove
Holes sidings and helped a
Network Rail engineer to cut and fit it, having attached the 113lb, 3ft section to a chain and
dragged it into position using a loading shovel.
The line was finally restored six-and-a-half hours later. Only one train, destined for Stourton,
near Leeds, had to be cancelled. Three later trains were delayed, but completed their
journeys.
John said: "The damage to the track wasn't immediately obvious, although it would have been
picked up in a routine inspection. It could have been very serious. If a derailment had resulted
you would be looking at a recovery operation lasting days."
Supervisor Liam Perkins said: "It would have been easy for John simply to have reported the
fault and await the repair, but that's not our way. His actions saved around 4,200 tonnes in
shipments and an enormous amount of time. This is a good example of the team here going
the extra yard - something we do on a regular basis."
Industry News
Shaping UK Minerals Policy Conference
On 3 November, CEMEX is supporting a conference that is being hosted by the CBI, the
biggest lobbying organisation for UK businesses, at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference
Centre in London.
The conference, Living with Minerals 3, is aimed at presenting the issues that affect the
minerals industry, and how these could affect the UK economy.
Addressed by John Cridland, CBI deputy director-general, the conference is a one-day event,
and will focus on the outcomes of the work of the UK Minerals Forum, launched last year by
Baroness Andrews OBE, Parliamentary under Secretary of State at CLG.
Key topics covered will include:
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Declining mineral reserves and the future security of supply
Mineral extraction in National Parks and areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Carbon and proximity of mineral supply
Cumulative impact of policy, legislation and regulation.
As a CBI member, CEMEX representatives have the opportunity to attend at a discounted
rate, see
http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/content.nsf/802737AED3E3420580256706005390AE/75E676682
11202EE802572040053B218?OpenDocumen for more information and how to book.
Free event - The 17th BCA Berthold Lubetkin Memorial Lecture - 14
October
The 17th British Cement Association Berthold Lubetkin Lecture, held in partnership with The
Concrete Centre, will be presented by FAT, one of the UK's most talked about young
architectural practices. FAT, otherwise known as Fashion, Architecture and Taste, have
raised a few eyebrows amongst the architectural establishment with their new take on English
vernacular architecture that is infused with a determination to pursue a design philosophy that
goes beyond current conventions and restrictions in favour of one that is inclusive and
responsive to contemporary culture. Driving this philosophy is the wish to provide architecture
that engages with its users and is legible to those who experience it. The result is architecture
that communicates. For further information, visit http://www.concretecentre.com/main.asp?page=269&id=297
How can I contribute to UK News?
If you have a story or piece of news you would like to communicate to colleagues please send
it in. The deadline for contributions to UK News is close of play Friday. First check out our
guide to writing stories for UK News. Then contact the Communications and Public Affairs
team on 01932 583 217. Or email us at GB-Communications and Public Affairs (in Lotus
Notes) or gb-communicationsandpublicaffairs@cemex.com (external).