'SAIL rationalising workforce to remain competitive'

State-owned SAIL is rationalising its 1.16 lakh workforce across the country to remain globally competitive, Minister of State for Steel A Sai Prathap informed Parliament today.

"Rationalisation of manpower is a continual process in SAIL... Manpower rationalisation is being undertaken with the objective of remaining globally competitive, improving productivity and bringing down costs," he said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

SAIL had a manpower strength of 1.16 lakh on April 1, 2010, he added.

In a separate response to the house, he said all the steel PSUs undertake rationalisation of manpower from time-to-time to remain globally competitive. But besides SAIL, he did not give details about workforce of the other steel PSUs.
    
"With rationalisation of manpower, productivity of SAIL is likely to be increased. Modernisation and expansion is also underway in SAIL, which will also lead to an increase in production and capacity," Prathap added.
    
SAIL is undertaking a Rs 70,000 crore expansion programme to augment its annual steel production capacity to about 23 million tonnes from the current level of around 14 million tonnes by 2012.
    
Among the other steel PSUs, NMDC has lined up a Rs 30,000 crore investment plan to augment its iron ore output to about 50 million tonnes from the current 30 million tonnes. The mineral producer is also in process of setting up a Rs 15,000 crore steel plant in Chhattisgarh.
    
Navratna steel company RINL, on the other hand, is doubling its annual steel production capacity to about six million tonnes at an estimated investment of Rs 12,000 crore.
    
"These are expected to add to creation of new employment opportunities in the coming years," Prathap said, without specifying the hiring target of the PSUs in the current year.