Respect for Human Rights

Nippon Steel respects human rights and strives to create the working environment which allows diverse human resources to be more empowered.

Basic policy

In compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international norms on human rights, the Nippon Steel Group respects our employees’ diverse views and fully utilizes their individuality via effective communication and collaboration so as to create and deliver enhanced value. Based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Nippon Steel Group Conduct Code has been set. By adhering to its principles, Nippon Steel conducts business ethically, while paying full heed to human rights issues arising with the increasing globalization of the economy. Nippon Steel gives due attention to the rights of workers, and staunchly opposes the use of forced or child labor. These are prerequisites of our corporate activities. We have also prohibited as unjust the discriminatory treatment of workers based on nationality, race, belief, creed, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability. In addition, we give careful consideration to the traditions and culture, business practice, and labor practice of each country or region as we accelerate overseas business development.

The Nippon Steel Group has established the Nippon Steel Group Human Rights Policy to demonstrate this corporate stance within and outside the Group. This policy has been approved by the Board of Directors of Nippon Steel Corporation.

Efforts to prevent human rights abuses

⟨Response inside and outside the Nippon Steel Group⟩
Conduct human rights due diligence

In fiscal 2024, we conducted a questionnaire survey of several suppliers in some fields (mining).
After analyzing and checking the responses and the information disclosed by each company, no adverse impacts, concerns, or doubts on human rights were confirmed this time.
We plan to conduct human rights due diligence in fiscal 2025 as well, and are currently considering the number of companies to be surveyed and the fields of suppliers.

Mechanism of corrective actions

We have clarified whom to contact for consultation on various compliance issues including human rights. This is a part of the effort to establish a groupwide claims handling mechanism that makes it easy for employees and related personnel to ask for consultation, and that enables the Company to understand and identify incidents of human rights abuses.

Specifically, a Compliance Consultation Room has been established to accept inquiries and reports and give counseling regarding human rights abuses such as harassment, from employees of the Company and Group companies and their families, as well as from employees of business partners. Reports and consultations from various stakeholders are accepted through the Inquiry Form accessible on the website. Regarding the response to these individual incidents, such as internal reports and consultations, we investigate the facts and, if necessary, seek advice from outside parties, including lawyers and outside professional organizations, to protect the privacy of the persons and to ensure that they do not receive unfavorable treatment. We then provide guidance and education to those involved, and strive to appropriately resolve the incidents.

In the event that a target for correction or remedy is identified, we strive to take appropriate measures, and periodically check and verify the effectiveness of the measures through checklists and other means. We also strive to promote dialogue and discussions with internal and external stakeholders regarding our Group’s initiatives for human rights in its business activities.

Furthermore, since labor-management relations play an important role in preventing human rights abuses and resolving related incidents, in the event of disputes concerning the interpretation of collective agreements, labor-management agreements or other rules directly related to them, a grievance committee is established to resolve the dispute, based on the agreement concerning complaint-handling procedures that has been concluded with the labor union. The committee comprises members from both the management and the labor side.

[Inquiry form concerning human rights]

• Consultation in Japanese：bhr_contact@jp.nipponsteel.com
• Consultations from overseas or in English：https://jacer-bhr.org/en/application/form.html

Addressing human rights risks

From the viewpoint of promoting human rights awareness activities we have assigned human rights awareness advocates at each steelworks and each office, and implemented corporate-wide human rights awareness activities. We hold a “corporate-wide forum of human rights awareness advocates” in March each year to exchange views on human rights awareness education and new human rights risks, and to consider the related action policy for the next fiscal year. Based on this, we hold a “corporate-wide forum of human rights anti-discrimination promotion” at the beginning of the fiscal year, chaired by the Executive Officer in charge of Human Resources, with the human resources managers from each steelworks and each office as members. At this forum, the fiscal year’s policy for promoting human rights development is determined.

Prevention of forced or child labor

Adhering to international norms concerning forced or child labor, Nippon Steel has a policy of prevention and eradication of both types of labor. We comply with applicable regulations and conduct regular monitoring surveys of our Group companies to prevent such violations in our business activities.

Compliance concerning salaries

In compliance with laws and regulation concerning salary and wages payment, Nippon Steel has set up pay at a higher level than minimum wage stipulated by the country, region, and type of work where we do business. With regard to bonuses, we regularly survey relevant matters, including the status of each country, region, and type of work, hold meetings with labor representatives, and appropriately reward employees by paying performance–based bonuses linked to company profits.

In addition to general education that contributes to the prevention of human rights abuses in workplaces, we also address specific human rights abuse risks in formulating and the oversight of specific work assignments. Examples include education on fair recruitment selection by employees assigned to the tasks of hiring in order to prevent job discrimination, and education on cross-cultural understanding and communication for those assigned to overseas business in the context of preventing human rights abuses (i.e., consideration for each country’s unique traditions, culture, business practices, and labor–management practices).

Communicating with stakeholders

Adhering to laws and the group-company labor agreements, and respecting the rights to organize and to bargain, Nippon Steel strives to maintain sound labor-management relationships. With a focus on mutual understanding through two-way dialogue, we have a place for discussion with labor unions for the entire Company as well as for each steelworks and each office. We discuss the operating and financial performance, safety, health, and production management issues, working conditions such as salaries and bonus payments, balancing of work and personal life, and other issues. Close labor-management communication is also maintained, particularly concerning the actual work cases for which the labor unions received reports from their members. The minutes of these discussions are recorded and shared through the Intranet and other means broadly, from senior management to work union members.