RINL Workers Alarmed Over New Multi-Role Directive
Workers at Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd. (RINL) have voiced concerns about a new directive affecting the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). This directive requires staff to take on multiple roles. Employees warn that this change could compromise safety while pushing for increased production.
The order will first impact the Steel Melting Shop-2 (SMS-2). Management has set an ambitious target of over 19,000 tonnes of steel per day. Section in-charges must now take on any assigned task. Production is expected to run continuously, even with fewer workers present.
Many employees will perform duties such as converter, crane, tapping, and charging operations. However, many lack the necessary experience. Senior staff members are now responsible for supervising and coordinating these activities with chargemen, masters, and technicians.
Trade unions and technical experts have strongly opposed this initiative. They point out the extreme heat and precision required in these tasks. A union representative stated, “One small mistake can lead to a major accident.”
In steelmaking, tapping involves drawing molten metal from the furnace. Charging adds materials to the molten metal for refinement. Converter operations prepare ladles for processing using oxygen. Workers emphasize that only trained specialists should perform these jobs. A technician from SMS remarked, “Earlier, only experts handled these tasks. Now, anyone can be asked to do them. This is risky.”
The directive follows staff reductions under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS). About 1,800 employees have left, resulting in fewer hands on the floor. “We are doing double the work with longer shifts,” said another worker.
Management has acknowledged the shortage of skilled manpower. They claim the policy aims to enhance operational flexibility. An RINL official stated, “Safety procedures remain in place. The goal is to use resources efficiently.”
Union leaders plan to file a formal objection against the directive. A leader from the Visakha Steel Workers’ Union said, “Production is important, but lives come first. We want management to withdraw this unsafe directive.”