(Thought to share my thoughts)
I was privileged to be selected in Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) as a Management Trainee (Administration) in the early 1980s and was assigned to the Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) in West Bengal. The one year theoretical training imparted was rigorous and covered the entire spectrum of management subjects including safety of the shop floor and steel making. Later I worked in the Plant Personnel Department before moving over to NABARD. When I read about the recent labour strife at Chennai and Gurgaon, I am reminded of my days at DSP. Modern day HR has moved far away from IR and seems focused upon the services sector mainly now, which is mainly non unionised. Such incidents serve to remind us that there is another world out there.
After all these years what I remember most are the industrial relations aspects of my work and training, more so as this then the was the most sensitive unit of SAIL in terms of industrial relations. A workforce of over 40000 (including contract labour) spread over a sprawling complex of 100 kms enclosed perimeter, running such a plant was a major task. Coke oven batteries, blast furnaces, steel melting shops, rolling mills, power plants, steam plants, oxygen plants, a foundry, major repair installations, plant garage, refractory units, captive railway rolling stock etc were all inside the factory complex. To give an idea about the complexity, the railway lines inside the factory were 120 kms and when I moved from the Power plant to the Steam Plant, it was a 12 kms drive within the maze of the factory.
There were three major recognized unions, CITU, AITUC and INTUC, then seven more unions always making an effort to muscle in with power in pockets. Shop floor productivity meetings could thus well be imagined for the arguments more than consensus at times. My first assignment as a trainee was to the Services Wing, tasked to sit in the Quality Control Department. After some time a union leader came to call on me, welcomed me to the plant and assured all cooperation. Being young, I also talked a lot and for the next few days we gossiped over many issues. Lo and behold, we had a small issue of absenteeism, where I had to write for harsh action against a worker and the same guy was shouting away, addressing his colleagues and telling them all that we discussed in a negative way. Later on my boss had to call me and counsel me that we had to gossip to obtain information and build contacts but had to guard about what we said!! Ah gossip, you could be walking from one unit to another, a workman would quietly come alongside and whisper that a particular group was planning trouble or a work stoppage and then slip away. You had to debate if to trust it or ferret out more information, pass it up or confront the group directly.
The summer months were hellish, built on hard rock strata, the temperature inside the complex was always 2 to3 degrees higher than the residential area. Some disputes were simply tailored to obtain rest from the heat it seemed. The festival season from August to November was the best as generally peace prevailed. When drowned in running around fire fighting at times, the only consolation was the calendar which indicated a festival was approaching !.
Bandhs were another time of stress, if the CITU had decided to call a bandh, the INTUC had to oppose. At that time a bandh could even be against imperial powers, Delhi’s anti worker policies, etc in addition to actual local issues. Once a bandh was called, on the day we had to stay the night within the factory, sneaking in by latest seven pm and reporting at the assigned station. Now the CITU would be stopping workmen from entering while the INTUC aligned workmen would come in the buses or otherwise and insist on entering. Minor clashes and loud sloganeering was common while the senior INTUC leaders would often stay upto 48 hours within the complex rather than risk stepping out. Early morning of the bandh was another scene as those inside, ostensibly to work would often raise slogans and demand their pound of flesh before starting work. At 0500 hours or so at times, it could be quite a scene to be alert. Once a colleague and I overslept and we got a tongue lashing which I still recall.
Police rescue was another experience, once the Permanent Way Workers decided to ask for overtime for some additional work which was refused. Then they gheraoed us and for 14 hours or so it was a most stressful time, slogans, demands to sign the register, no toilet breaks, no water, fans switched off etc, it was just one guy from the department and me inside while the seniors negotiated outside to no avail. Finally at night, the Sub Inspector of the local thana was called upon for rescue. He came in and asked formally if we were under gherao, while the workmen shouted no and obscenities, I had to specifically state yes. Then he asked it I wanted to be rescued, again I had to say yes, then he warned the agitating workers and led me out. It was pushing and shoving and shirt yanking and some pinching while one guy even pulled lightly my French beard I then sported. I just walked on and out of the departmental complex, where my boss gave me a glass of water and I ran to the bathroom for relief !!.
Now the foundry experience, we had two smart alecks emerging as leaders, challenging the existing leaders we were comfortable with and causing all sorts of problems on any issue. One day after a stoppage, the senior HR personnel had a meeting to sort them out. One of the leaders, lets call him Chinmoy, was asked to go to the administrative building outside the factory to meet the GM Personnel. We then called over the second guy, say Sudeep, and had a general chat about his family, plant and anything we could think off for an hour while plying him with sweets. I was asked to just gossip outside later that Sudeep had sold out Chinmoy. Chinmoy on return immediately went to my boss and asked what was happening, Mr Tiwari while finalizing his charge sheet there and then said nothing was amiss. Chinmoy insisted and was told he was imagining things. As soon as he left, I was asked to get the charge sheet served and pasted. Now we issued the charge sheet only to Chinmoy, he came running back and asked about Sudeep, we told him that he was always inciting the workers, so he deserved the charge sheet. Summary – we broke them up !!.
Then I still remember Mr Das, heading the Plant Water Supply Department, one day he just lost his cool in the midst of protracted inane negotiations and just screamed out aloud "aieaieaieaie" for quite soem time. Shocked,the union leaders retreated, when alone I asked him what happened, he just shrugged and said give me machines and automations any time. One thing, at DSP, one never came to the point directly in negotiations, you discussed leninism, Gobachov,glasnost etc and then discussed promotions or acting in a higher grade. Once the main water supply line cracked, it was an engineering feat to lay a railway line for a kilometre, demolish the main pump house by a crane mounted iron ball and them to remove the pipeline for reapirs within 24 hours. Yours truly and the boss had to sit through for keeping the union leaders in good humour for every issue they could dream of.
There are plenty more but space constraints are there. I would only add that some in the private corporate sector seem to have a tendency to contract out now and I meet drivers from famous corporate houses on Rs 3500 per month or in one case, even bagging of sacks was contracted out to the same workmen who were regular earlier and canteen benefits denied to them. I wonder if this is the correct route or would the scenario of agitations again result to restore a balance. At DSP it was different, a government company, with clear rules and regulations was essentially hostage then to ideology as per my viewpoint. These are aspects we must consider before we become too cost oriented. SAIL is of course a star performer now and so is the DSP, though some IR issues will always be there.
===============================================================
(These are absolutely personal views and do not reflect the views of the employer in any way).
I was privileged to be selected in Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) as a Management Trainee (Administration) in the early 1980s and was assigned to the Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) in West Bengal. The one year theoretical training imparted was rigorous and covered the entire spectrum of management subjects including safety of the shop floor and steel making. Later I worked in the Plant Personnel Department before moving over to NABARD. When I read about the recent labour strife at Chennai and Gurgaon, I am reminded of my days at DSP. Modern day HR has moved far away from IR and seems focused upon the services sector mainly now, which is mainly non unionised. Such incidents serve to remind us that there is another world out there.
After all these years what I remember most are the industrial relations aspects of my work and training, more so as this then the was the most sensitive unit of SAIL in terms of industrial relations. A workforce of over 40000 (including contract labour) spread over a sprawling complex of 100 kms enclosed perimeter, running such a plant was a major task. Coke oven batteries, blast furnaces, steel melting shops, rolling mills, power plants, steam plants, oxygen plants, a foundry, major repair installations, plant garage, refractory units, captive railway rolling stock etc were all inside the factory complex. To give an idea about the complexity, the railway lines inside the factory were 120 kms and when I moved from the Power plant to the Steam Plant, it was a 12 kms drive within the maze of the factory.
There were three major recognized unions, CITU, AITUC and INTUC, then seven more unions always making an effort to muscle in with power in pockets. Shop floor productivity meetings could thus well be imagined for the arguments more than consensus at times. My first assignment as a trainee was to the Services Wing, tasked to sit in the Quality Control Department. After some time a union leader came to call on me, welcomed me to the plant and assured all cooperation. Being young, I also talked a lot and for the next few days we gossiped over many issues. Lo and behold, we had a small issue of absenteeism, where I had to write for harsh action against a worker and the same guy was shouting away, addressing his colleagues and telling them all that we discussed in a negative way. Later on my boss had to call me and counsel me that we had to gossip to obtain information and build contacts but had to guard about what we said!! Ah gossip, you could be walking from one unit to another, a workman would quietly come alongside and whisper that a particular group was planning trouble or a work stoppage and then slip away. You had to debate if to trust it or ferret out more information, pass it up or confront the group directly.
The summer months were hellish, built on hard rock strata, the temperature inside the complex was always 2 to3 degrees higher than the residential area. Some disputes were simply tailored to obtain rest from the heat it seemed. The festival season from August to November was the best as generally peace prevailed. When drowned in running around fire fighting at times, the only consolation was the calendar which indicated a festival was approaching !.
Bandhs were another time of stress, if the CITU had decided to call a bandh, the INTUC had to oppose. At that time a bandh could even be against imperial powers, Delhi’s anti worker policies, etc in addition to actual local issues. Once a bandh was called, on the day we had to stay the night within the factory, sneaking in by latest seven pm and reporting at the assigned station. Now the CITU would be stopping workmen from entering while the INTUC aligned workmen would come in the buses or otherwise and insist on entering. Minor clashes and loud sloganeering was common while the senior INTUC leaders would often stay upto 48 hours within the complex rather than risk stepping out. Early morning of the bandh was another scene as those inside, ostensibly to work would often raise slogans and demand their pound of flesh before starting work. At 0500 hours or so at times, it could be quite a scene to be alert. Once a colleague and I overslept and we got a tongue lashing which I still recall.
Police rescue was another experience, once the Permanent Way Workers decided to ask for overtime for some additional work which was refused. Then they gheraoed us and for 14 hours or so it was a most stressful time, slogans, demands to sign the register, no toilet breaks, no water, fans switched off etc, it was just one guy from the department and me inside while the seniors negotiated outside to no avail. Finally at night, the Sub Inspector of the local thana was called upon for rescue. He came in and asked formally if we were under gherao, while the workmen shouted no and obscenities, I had to specifically state yes. Then he asked it I wanted to be rescued, again I had to say yes, then he warned the agitating workers and led me out. It was pushing and shoving and shirt yanking and some pinching while one guy even pulled lightly my French beard I then sported. I just walked on and out of the departmental complex, where my boss gave me a glass of water and I ran to the bathroom for relief !!.
Now the foundry experience, we had two smart alecks emerging as leaders, challenging the existing leaders we were comfortable with and causing all sorts of problems on any issue. One day after a stoppage, the senior HR personnel had a meeting to sort them out. One of the leaders, lets call him Chinmoy, was asked to go to the administrative building outside the factory to meet the GM Personnel. We then called over the second guy, say Sudeep, and had a general chat about his family, plant and anything we could think off for an hour while plying him with sweets. I was asked to just gossip outside later that Sudeep had sold out Chinmoy. Chinmoy on return immediately went to my boss and asked what was happening, Mr Tiwari while finalizing his charge sheet there and then said nothing was amiss. Chinmoy insisted and was told he was imagining things. As soon as he left, I was asked to get the charge sheet served and pasted. Now we issued the charge sheet only to Chinmoy, he came running back and asked about Sudeep, we told him that he was always inciting the workers, so he deserved the charge sheet. Summary – we broke them up !!.
Then I still remember Mr Das, heading the Plant Water Supply Department, one day he just lost his cool in the midst of protracted inane negotiations and just screamed out aloud "aieaieaieaie" for quite soem time. Shocked,the union leaders retreated, when alone I asked him what happened, he just shrugged and said give me machines and automations any time. One thing, at DSP, one never came to the point directly in negotiations, you discussed leninism, Gobachov,glasnost etc and then discussed promotions or acting in a higher grade. Once the main water supply line cracked, it was an engineering feat to lay a railway line for a kilometre, demolish the main pump house by a crane mounted iron ball and them to remove the pipeline for reapirs within 24 hours. Yours truly and the boss had to sit through for keeping the union leaders in good humour for every issue they could dream of.
There are plenty more but space constraints are there. I would only add that some in the private corporate sector seem to have a tendency to contract out now and I meet drivers from famous corporate houses on Rs 3500 per month or in one case, even bagging of sacks was contracted out to the same workmen who were regular earlier and canteen benefits denied to them. I wonder if this is the correct route or would the scenario of agitations again result to restore a balance. At DSP it was different, a government company, with clear rules and regulations was essentially hostage then to ideology as per my viewpoint. These are aspects we must consider before we become too cost oriented. SAIL is of course a star performer now and so is the DSP, though some IR issues will always be there.
===============================================================
(These are absolutely personal views and do not reflect the views of the employer in any way).
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