MCL elevates 875 coal miners to join skilled cadre

Sambalpur: Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, has elevated 715 workers engaged in underground mines to the open casts mines of the company in various skilled trades, a move to provide the employees with the opportunities of growth and skill development.

During the current year, 875 workers have been redeployed as trainees in various skilled cadres for their gainful utilisation. Out of these 875 workers, 715 have been selected from underground mines in Talcher Coalfields for redeployment in opencast mines as trainees in different skilled functions.

Under this innovative approach of MCL to gainfully utilise existing manpower, the workers were given an opportunity based on seniority to choose their trade and the place of posting as per requirement of the company.

These elevated workers will be put on the on-job training of their cadres after successful completion of which they will be absorbed in higher grades in non-executive cadres.

The workers were selected for the posts of Mining Sirdar (05), Data Entry Operator (31), HEMM Operator Trainee (112), Conveyor Operator Trainee (24), Security Guard Trainee (09), Assistant Foreman (Elect) Trainee (37), Overseer Civil Trainee (30) and various other posts as trainees (608).

As on 1st of December 2017, MCL had a total manpower strength of 22,392 employees, including 1,804 below Board-level Executives and 20,583 staff, with 4,474 deployed in the underground mines.

It was observed that there was surplus unskilled manpower available in the underground mines in Talcher Coalfields of company, with the significant numbers of workers who had joined under R&R scheme for land acquisition and compassionate grounds.

MCL had also initiated schooling and skilling programme for employees under its initiatives to train manpower recruited under R&R Scheme.

With a few exceptions, the recruits joining company under R&R scheme are mostly unskilled and below secondary qualification.

At least 753 employees such recruits are undergoing schooling and /or technical skill development training at various educational/technical institutions for their gainful employment after training. The company pays full wages to these employees undergoing schooling or skilling programmes.