Larsen and Toubro chairman and managing director SN Subrahmanyan on Tuesday famous that building labourers are exhibiting a reluctance to work, citing the existence of welfare schemes and elevated consolation as contributing elements. He highlighted the distinctive problem confronted by India the place, in contrast to in different elements of the world experiencing important migration, there’s a notable development of people being disinclined to relocate for employment alternatives within the building business.
Subrahmanyan noticed that whereas many international locations face substantial migration points, India presents a particular problem as many individuals are hesitant to relocate for work. His remarks in January 2025 relating to workers working 90 hours per week stirred up controversy and sparked widespread debate.
Addressing the CII South International Linkages summit in Chennai, Subrahmanyan mentioned: “We now have to make use of 4 lakh laborers and the attrition fee is three to 4 instances a yr, so for using 4 lakh laborers we make use of about 6 million.”
He additional acknowledged that there have been important adjustments within the methodology of labor mobilization. As a way to purchase carpenters for a brand new website, the corporate now makes use of communication strategies to achieve out to a pre-existing record of carpenters with whom they’ve beforehand collaborated. The choice to simply accept the job then lies with the employees themselves.
“That may be a methodology of mobilisation. However on the similar time think about now to mobilise 1. 6 million individuals yearly. So we’ve got created a separate division known as HR for Labor which doesn’t exist within the firm however it does exist. And generally I even sit on that,” he mentioned.
He defined that persons are not prepared to return for numerous causes, due to the financial institution accounts (Jan Dhan), the direct profit transfers, Garib Kalyan Yojana, the MGNREGA schemes and never wanting to maneuver from rural locations preferring consolation.
Subrahmanyan defined that the corporate has a standardised methodology for labour mobilisation together with a devoted HR staff for labour the place he’s at present concerned. “However there may be issue regardless of this, as a result of labour just isn’t prepared to maneuver for alternatives… Possibly their native economic system is doing properly, perhaps it’s because of the numerous authorities schemes & DBTs accessible to them, however they aren’t prepared to maneuver.”
Subrahmanyan additionally noticed a reluctance to maneuver for job alternatives amongst engineers and different professionals. He recounted an instance from his personal expertise, sharing that previously, workers had been prepared to relocate for work assignments.
Nevertheless, he famous that these days, workers are extra immune to transferring for his or her jobs. He emphasised the necessity for versatile HR insurance policies to adapt to the altering panorama of labor. This development poses a problem to the nation-building efforts of L&T and the business as a complete.
Final month, Subrahmanyan prompted a stir on-line when a video of him advocating a 90-hour work week went viral. The undated video featured Subrahmanyan suggesting that workers ought to think about giving up their Sundays as properly.
“How lengthy are you able to stare at your spouse,” he requested.
“I remorse I’m not in a position to make you’re employed on Sundays. If I could make you’re employed on Sundays, I will likely be extra joyful, as a result of I work on Sundays. What do you do sitting at dwelling? How lengthy are you able to stare at your spouse? How lengthy can the wives stare at their husbands? Come on, get to the workplace and begin working,” he added.
Following backlash on-line, the corporate responded by stating that Subrahmanyan’s feedback had been meant to be taken frivolously and had been misinterpreted.