By IANS
Chennai : In order to develop a sense of belonging amongst its employees and also to arrest the attrition rate, Chennai’s private conservancy operator Neel Metal Fanalca Environment Management Pvt Ltd has decided to provide permanent jobs to its contract workers.
“From February 1st onwards, all our workers will on our rolls. There will not be any contract employees,” said S. Pattabhiraman, vice-president of the firm.
According to him, the cost impact on the company will be nil but the positive psychological impact the move would have on the workers will immensely benefit the company.
“Instead of paying the labour contractor, we decided to pay the workers directly,” he added.
The company has around 2,100 workers now, with men accounting for 70 percent and women the rest.
This apart, the company has decided to offer personal accident insurance to its workers and employees.
The staff will also be covered under group health insurance policy, said T. Palanichammy, associate vice-president.
In order to encourage street workers attend work, Neel Metal Fanalca has started offering attendance incentive, which goes up to Rs.300 per month when a worker attends work for 26 days.
The company has also created a worker’s welfare fund with each worker contributing one day’s pay once.
According to Palanichammy the average earnings per worker per month will be around Rs.3,000.
“For us, the challenge is to tackle high attrition and absenteeism at the worker level – sweepers, drivers and others,” Palanichammy said.
The company is also automating its payroll and human resource activities, which would help in streamlining operations.
Neel Metal Falanca that started operations last August in three municipal zones under Chennai Corporation faced labour issues as it outsourced the service.
The company also drew flat from citizens and others as it failed to clear garbage that kept piling on streets for want of men and machines.
Though the streets in the three zones in which Neel Metal Fanalca operates cannot be said to be garbage free, the company at last is getting its act together.
Disagreeing that the previous operator had set a high benchmark for Neel Metal Fanalca to match, Pattabhiraman said: “We have stabilised our operations now. We are clearing around 1,200 tonne of garbage daily.”
According to him, the company operates a fleet of 170 Tata Ace vehicles, 35 compactors and 10 hook loaders.
The company has 3,400 garbage bins of three sizes – 660, 770 and 1,100 litres.
Neel Metal Fanalca has also contracted with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) to clear the garbage generated at the Koyembedu Vegetable Market.
“The rate is Rs.143 per tonne of garbage cleared,” he said.
The company also has big corporates like Nokia, Motorola, Tata Consultancy Services as its clients, Pattabhiraman said.
“In order to meet their quality certification norms, the corporates have to dispose off their garbage through a certified waste management operator,” he said.