Bhubaneswar, May 3: Public-sector company National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco) is virtually looking for occasions to shower gifts on its employees. Last March, it got an opportunity when the company's smelter plant at Anugul achieved 100 per cent capacity utilisation by putting on line all the 480 pots. The cash-rich company dished out gift cheques of Rs 2,000 to each of its employees, including the directors, to celebrate the occasion. This exercise cost Nalco Rs 1.3 crore.This was not the first time. In the past too,k it had gifted wristwatches and jeans dress materials to its employees. ``But this is not profligacy,'' Nalco's director (personnel & administration) KN Mishra said. According to him, this had become necessary to keep the employees motivated.
Owing to the lack of opportunity for promotions in the public sector units, the employees are feeling increasingly frustrated. And Nalco is finding it difficult to retain the talents. It has lost a dozen engineers and executives to Indal and Aditya Aluminium in recent years. Worse, the employees are gradually losing interest in their job in Nalco.
``Besides financial motivations, we are trying to provide better facilities, and better work environment to retain the talents,'' he said. However, he clarified that unlike the multinationals and private concerns, Nalco's means were limited.
Mishra admitted that retaining talents had become difficult for the rivals were poaching with high pay packets and perks. Mishra said that the company, which has a workforce of 6,500, is saddled with some surplus staff. However, he added, the surplus workforce would be gainfully deployed in the company's expansion project.
Copyright © 2000 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.