Local youth keep hopes on jobs as KIA gears up for production

Penukonda (Anantapur): At a time when the 13,000 crore car manufacturing South Korean major Kia Automobiles project is gearing itself for its commercial production of 3 lakh cars per year at its Penukonda unit in Andhra Pradesh in September 2019, the provision of 75 per cent jobs for locals mandated by the bill passed by the AP Assembly recently has become a topic of discussion in industry and among the unemployed youth.

Thousands of farmers who gave their agriculture lands for the project were made to believe that their wards would get one job for a family. Hundreds of educated youth, the sons and daughters of farmers and those educated jobless youth in the district are expecting jobs in the company.

The company had promised 7,000 jobs out of which 3,000 jobs are highly skilled and are regular jobs who would be on the direct payrolls of the company. The remaining 4,000 jobs will not be on the pay rolls of the company but will be working under private contractors.

The youth are sceptical about job security if they have to work under private contractors. Besides the contractors have a history of paying less to workers and profiting immensely on workers salary bills. The Kia Management must ensure decent salary payments to those working for Kia even though they are not on their payrolls.

The state government also must ensure decent payment to contract workers. The Kia Group has also promised jobs for the local youth even in Ancillary industries. About 3,000 ancillary industries are expected to dot Penukonda.

Kia officials are inaccessible to the media and the public relations department manned by local PROs are not in a position to give details when contacted. Only the Korean officials have answers, but they do not interact with the local media.

According to the provisions of the Bill, the company should first give preference for local youth in the mandal. Primarily locals belong to the mandal and then district and then the State and finally other States. If skilled and qualified workers could not be found in the mandal, then they can look for them in the district.

The company can call for candidates from the entire State. There is also a provision in the bill for upgrading the skills of candidates by the company within 3 years and finally absorb them in the company. Industry observers are of the opinion that the government should also take steps to prevent harassment to employees.

As of now, about 6,000 candidates applied to the Skill Development Corporation for training and nearly 2,000 eligible persons were trained by the corporation. Of the 2,000 trained, the Kia Motors picked up 650 candidates and absorbed them in various jobs.

As part of the MOU signed by Kia, about 11,000 jobs will be generated by Kia and its ancillaries. The local people and the youth in particular are demanding the government to constitute an MOU monitoring committee involving Kia, government officials and local MLA so that justice will be rendered to the youth who have high hopes on Kia Motors and its Ancillary Industries.