VISAKHAPATNAM: The Chennai-based Goodearth Maritime Ltd. (GML), which has placed orders worth Rs.1,050 crore with Hindustan Shipyard Ltd., for building ten vessels, has allayed the fears of the HSL workforce that the company is interfering in the yard's day-to-day functioning.

In a chat with The Hindu on Thursday, GML's Managing Director, S. Madan, said: "On the contrary, our deal with HSL ensures its come-back trail on the global shipbuilding front, which is booming now.

"Shipyards are already fully booked worldwide, and an increased global demand for new ships would only benefit Indian yards.''

(The GML MD's re-assurance came in the wake of the fears expressed by some trade unions and a section of HSL workers that the presence the company's representatives in the shipyard "under the pretext of ensuring quality" was a precursor to privatisation of the yard itself.)

Stating that the global shipbuilding boom was on since 2003, he said that even during the lean years, private shipyards such as ABG and Bharati remained competitive and public sector Cochin Shipyard Ltd., too, stood to gain. But the once highly-rated HSL was languishing without any significant orders. Its total booking till 2003 was in the measly Rs. 200 crore range.

He revealed that when HSL signed the contract for four 30,000 deadweight tonnage (dwt) Trader series and six 53,000 dwt Diamond-53-type bulk carriers, with an option clause for another six, it was widely reported in international shipping magazines.

That was till "we came on the scene with this whopping order in mid-2004'', he said and pointed out that "these orders bring with them experts from the international shipbuilding industry such as Graig (UK), Carl Bro, Daewoo and Komac''.

Apart from placing these orders, the GML had extended to HSL support services. In addition, the GML had invited top shipbuilding consultants to HSL and deployed a large supervision team to identify and smoothen roadblocks.

``Recently when I inspected the nearly-complete hull of the first ship, the delivery of which is due in August, it occurred to me that the HSL-GML tie-up was going to be a fine display of public-private-trust.''

In a message from GML Chairman. P. B. Anandam, corroborated Mr. Madan's hope and said: "Our orders are based on this trust in HSL workforce and the emerging shipbuilding dynamics that would make absence of indigenous shipbuilding capability a distinct disadvantage in managing a sustained growth. I have great faith in HSL workers in rising up to international challenges, with stiff competition emerging in the east Asian countries.''

On deploying contract workers, the Managing Director said, "Contract workforce brings in newer levels of skills, greater productivity and efficiency, a more work-focussed culture. More importantly from a strategic point of view, it allows skills to be passed on to a younger generation.

"HSL's choice is limited. Either it uses its current position to shore up its productivity or lose steam midway and let the Vietnamese and Philippine shipyards take over!''

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