As a socially responsible company, Unipetrol is linking its staff with local communities. Why? Local communities benefit from company’s employees’ kindness and involvement. At the same time, volunteering projects enable people to learn and develop new skills that boost their self-esteem and positively affect their overall well-being. This is the goal the company wants to achieve by a newly launched platform called “komUNIta”. Employees can use it to submit their proposals and Unipetrol will provide CZK 1 million through this platform in 2020.
Unipetrol is making an emphasis on sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on recently adopted CSR strategy, the company is e.g. trying to contribute to the well-being of local communities. “Unipetrol Lidem” project is an example of how Unipetrol supported Most region inhabitants. The company believes that people know best what is good for them so it let them submit their proposals for the best investment in 2020, then organized a voting, and finally announced two winning projects for Most and Litvinov that will be implemented this year.
“We are listening to our employees and we want to enable them to get more involved in life of their communities and make the world a better place. We know that many employees are willing to be engaged in volunteering activities. By komUNIta platform, they can suggest that we support community clubs, sports tournaments of local sports clubs, activities for seniors at the local library, construction of new playgrounds or shelters,” Katarzyna Woś, Vice Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Unipetrol Group, gives examples of help, adding: “We were pleased by the interest of our employees in the new platform, as well as by their engagement when devising its name. In the intranet contest, they sent a total of 245 proposals, which resulted in the excellent name, komUNIta. At the end of the year, the authors of the three most valuable projects will be rewarded.”
According to the company, significant financial contribution is not always what is expected. Sometimes immaterial or minor support is all that is needed to improve someone’s living. “Recent events related to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that people are empathic and feel like helping. Unipetrol’s staff got involved in company's support actions for hospitals, cities, partner organizations and schools, distributing disinfectant liquids, protective clothing, food, etc. The coronavirus will end eventually but there will always be reasons to help the people and the environment,” Anna Lutek, Unipetrol’s CSR manager, said.
The Unipetrol Group is the largest refinery and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude-oil processing and on the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. In all these areas, it belongs among the important players on the Czech and Central European market. The Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo with its Mogul brand in Pardubice and Kolín, Spolana Neratovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. Unipetrol also includes a network of Benzina filling stations in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. With 416 filling stations, Benzina is the largest chain in the Czech Republic. Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in terms of turnover in the Czech Republic. It earned over CZK 130 billion last year and employs more than 4,800 persons. In addition to its business development, Unipetrol is proud to be a socially responsible corporation. Therefore, it pays an equal amount of attention to initiatives which focus on the cultivation and support of sustainable development, education, local communities, and the environment. In 2005, Unipetrol became a member of the ORLEN Group, the largest crude-oil processor in Central Europe.
For more information, please visit the “Responsible Company” section at www.unipetrol.cz. Contact information: Pavel Kaidl, spokesman, telephone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520, e-mail:
pavel.kaidl@unipetrol.cz