Parliament panel seeks uniform safety protocol for SAIL workers

The parliamentary standing committee on coal, mines and steel flagged the need to ensure uniform safety protocols across permanent and temporary workers during a review of the organisational structure and performance of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).

The committee, headed by Lok Sabha member Anurag Singh Thakur, also highlighted that the public sector undertaking's expansion plans and operational efficiency must align with international best practices to make its products compete with those of the private sector.

Officials aware of the deliberations said the committee focused on critical issues including industrial safety standards and issues across SAIL's major plants at Bokaro, Bhilai, Rourkela and other facilities.


"The committee stressed the importance of labour welfare including contract worker safety practices, working conditions and compliance with emerging occupational health standards, particularly in light of implementation of new labour laws," said one of the officials, who did not wish to be identified.

India recently consolidated 29 labour laws into four comprehensive labour codes-the Code on Wages, 2019; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Social Security, 2020; and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020. Among others, these measures offer universal coverage for wage payment, enabling provisions ensuring timely payment to all employees, irrespective of wage limits.

SAIL's production performance, financial sustainability of individual plants, decarbonisation roadmap and capacity expansion to 50 million tonnes per annum were analysed, officials said.

The steelmaker reported standalone net profit of ₹1,112 crore for the first six months of this financial year, up from ₹844 crore a year ago. A company statement said revenue from operations crossed ₹52,600 crore driven by higher sales volume despite challenges on the pricing front.