The Hindu : National : Scorching the shop floor

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Friday, Feb 03, 2006

National

National

Scorching the shop floor

M. Soundariya Preetha

On how they are roller-skating around Coimbatore shop floors

- PHOTO: K. ANANTHAN

THE FAST LANE: Women workers on the move.

COIMBATORE: As the market for goods and services expands and things get more demanding, production practices and the work environment in industrial units are a-changing, and the pace of change is scorching indeed. The textile mills here are a case in point.

One instance is that of KPR Mills at Neelambur near here. Apart from automation and better technology at various stages, innovative work systems are adopted to facilitate efficient working. Facilities provided to the workers are modified based on the shop floor experience. For example, ring frame operators have to walk a lot given the vast area of the unit and hence they have been provided with roller skates. Young workers glide around the shop floor on their roller skates.

The 50,000-spindle unit, one of the three mills of the group, started in 2004, and women are engaged in most of the activities.

"High technology machines have become a necessity now," says an official of the Southern India Mills' Association (SIMA). The units stress more on quality and productivity than ever before. Consequently, workplace layouts have improved too.

Notice boards highlight achievements . "Our focus is on quality. While planning a project, we decide [on the] machinery according to the quality we aim at," says C.R. Ananda Krishnan, executive director.

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