Response to the requirement by Service Union United PAM on Kesko concerning corporate responsibility

Customer and job satisfaction provide the basis for the activities of Kesko and the K-stores. All our operations are premised on following the ethical principles. The events at Kesäpäivä in Kangasala have occured between an independent retailer entrepreneur and his employees. If the events presented in public are true, Kesko does not consider them as acceptable.

Responsibility includes compliance with rules and agreements. According to Kesko's view, Service Union United PAM pressures Kesko Food to terminate the retailer agreement immediately, which might lead to compensation for damages and also damage Kesko's reputation as a reliable contracting party. According to Kesko's policies, facts must always be determined before making a decision.

Further information:
President Terho Kalliokoski, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 1053 22204

Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a Finnish retail specialist whose stores offer quality to the daily lives of consumers through valued products and services at competitive prices. Kesko has about 2,000 stores engaged in chain operations in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Russia.