If all of us take pride in our efforts at nation building, we must appreciate that our 3.5 lakh workers who toil at our various sites and workshops make an equally important contribution to our continued success. Even as we use technology and develop AI-powered solutions to take over the more laborious, repetitive and hazardous tasks at site, there is no denying that our workers will remain a vital link in our eco-system, and it is in our best interests to keep them committed to us.
Neither can we wish away the migratory nature of workers nor condone their various compulsions that make it difficult for them to remain committed for long. On the other hand, it is imperative for us to retain them longer at our sites to maintain the quality of our delivery. We have instituted departments to handle HR for Workers across businesses, and it must remain our collective responsibility to make workers feel a part of our organization.
Create and sustain a sense of belonging
Very much like us, workers will be committed to us only if we can evoke in them a sense of belonging, make them feel wanted and impress upon them that they are just as important to our projects as our employees. The moment we appreciate their importance, our treatment and attitude towards workers will change. With our WISA App, worker onboarding has become extremely easy and hassle-free, and we must ensure that that experience continues. By paying a lot more attention to improving their habitats and living conditions, ensuring that their basic needs are met, and their working conditions are fair, we stand to gain immensely.
Just as we receive our salaries on time month on month without fail, it is our responsibility to ensure that workers are paid their wages on time, month on month, without delays. This is a sure shot way to make them feel that they are important to us and are a part of a great Company, even though they are not on our rolls. For many of them, timely wages are a must.
Treat them as equals
The worker ‘We respect your work; We care for your good life’ campaign that we have launched across half a dozen sites is our first real concerted effort to engage with our workers; it is the first time that we are reaching out to them, connecting with them, informing them of the financial and family welfare schemes that they are entitled to, listening and addressing their grievances and meeting some of their fundamental requirements. Gradually, these measures will reap us rich dividends. It is, however, imperative to sustain these and, more crucially, roll this campaign across more sites at the earliest. Every project site faces similar worker-related issues and if this campaign is helping to mitigate some of the more basic ones, it stands to reason for every site to adopt and implement it. Our Corporate Centre and Corporate Communications teams are ready to act instantly; it just requires the will from site leaderships to adopt.
It is also about change management
The success of such a campaign depends on how quickly we can change our mindset towards workers, uniformly across the organisation. Such a change of approach will evoke a reciprocal change amongst workers too, towards each one of you at site and, at a broader level, towards the Company and over time, start feeling proud that they are associated with a nation-builder.
Going beyond just improving their life at sites, we are even launching a Corporate Social Responsibility campaign to reach out to their families in their villages with welfare programmes to improve their lot and, that will gradually create goodwill for Brand L&T.
Worker management requires a multi-pronged approach for our sustained success in delivering projects in time and meet the high expectations of our various clients. Never forget that even though we are in a project-based business, at the end of the day, it is still a people’s business; workers are just like us in every way, and it always pays to be human with human beings. We stand to gain enormously by slightly tweaking our thinking, intent, approach and actions towards them.
Let’s make it happen. Together.
All the best!
S. N. SUBRAHMANYAN
Chairman & Managing Director, Larsen & Toubro
A HISTORIC SIGNING FOR INDIA’S LARGEST EPC MANDATE TILL DATE
November 26th 2020 was a red letter day both for the Indian infrastructure sector and for us as the contract for the largest EPC order awarded in the country till date was signed between L&T and the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited. As our CEO & Managing Director, Mr S N Subrahmanyan described, “this order reflects an inflection point in the revival of India’s infrastructure sector and the first sure shot indication that our economy is up and running.” For L&T, it represents a great opportunity to make up for lost ground due to the pandemic and reaffirm our status as India’s foremost construction organization.
The mandate is for the design and construction of 237 km of viaduct between Vapi and Vadodara in Gujarat, four stations, a depot at Surat, 14 river, 6 railway & 42 road crossings and a 350 M long mountain tunnel.
“This project will give a huge thrust to economic and social development,” declared Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice
President (Civil Infrastructure), S V Desai, for whom and his team, the mandate is not only a huge win but an even bigger responsibility. “The project will generate employment for professionals like engineers, technicians, designers, architects and create livelihoods for skilled and semi-skilled workforce and construction workers. It will boost demand for construction material and machinery and even ancillary industries like hospitality, entertainment, health, tourism, real estate & housing and education will flourish during the construction phase,” he elaborated.