THE versatility of its workforce is helping Tata Motors combat the present ongoing recession, said S N Amberdekar, Pune head of Tata Motors, at a day-long seminar organised by the Labour Law Practitioners’ Association in the city to discuss the aspects of industrial law in recession.

Speaking on the ongoing industrial recession in the automobile industry, Amberdekar said that the company was reaping the benefits of having asked its workers to take up extra training courses in the past.

“Some time ago, we started a programme to make workers versatile. We gave extra money to workers to take extra courses. As a result, today we are able to transfer our workers to various departments,” he said.

He said that nearly 70 per cent of its 7,500 strong work force was trained in multiple jobs, a result of the company’s “cross versatility programme”. “Every six months, the workers are allowed to sit for an exam for which we train them. If they grow in their own trade, they get two increments, if they grow in another trade as well, they get three increments,” he told The Indian Express.

Amberdekar said that the old notion of profit — the difference between selling price and cost price — is no longer valid. The only way to make profit was to cut the costs and that could be achieved by eliminating wastage. He said if a company could not pay its workers, it should tell them upfront. “These matters should never go to court,” he said.

He said that the employees should use this time to upgrade and sharpen their skills. At a car race, drivers make pit stops to change tyres, refuel, check their gearboxes, repairs, or mechanical adjustments, he said. “It does not mean that people who take two stops lose the race, sometimes they win. This is because the car gains tremendous energy for the remaining race,” he said.

Earlier, Swatanter Kumar, chief justice of the Bombay High Court said that present disturbances between the government, the employee and the employer were leading to economic losses for the country. Advocate Ashok Gupte said that companies with more than 100 employees need government permission to effect layoffs.