The challenge
Power Mech, an established engineering and construction group, won the contract to develop and operate SAIL’s Tasra coking coal mine for 28 years. The scope runs from overburden removal and coal extraction to crushing, transport, a coal washery, and rehabilitation and resettlement. KTMPL was set up to run it.
Mining was a new business for the group, and a mine cannot simply borrow the HR rules of a construction company. It runs on shifts, specialised supervision, defined safety accountabilities, heavy equipment and sector-specific regulation, and its needs change as it moves from development to full operation.
KTMPL needed a complete, connected HR system before it built its workforce: who reports to whom, what each role is accountable for, how people are graded and paid, how performance is judged, and how employment and compliance are governed.
What TNSL did
Designed the organisation first. TNSL defined KTMPL’s functions, reporting lines and accountabilities across mining operations, mechanical and electrical maintenance, project execution, commercial, administration and support, built to grow from development into full operation.
Turned the structure into roles. Job descriptions set out each role’s purpose, responsibilities, reporting and competencies, clearly separating operational execution, technical supervision and managerial accountability, so they could be used for hiring, grading and performance management.
Built pay, grades and benefits. A pay and grade structure linked every role to a grade, so offers and increments would follow one consistent logic as the workforce grew. A benefits plan completed the employee proposition.
Set up performance management around the business. TNSL first agreed a performance philosophy with management, then designed the performance management system and implemented a balanced scorecard. It links each department and role to the mine’s priorities together: production, cost, safety, compliance, asset reliability and capability building.
Put governance and compliance in writing. HR policies and SOPs set the rules and how they are applied. Standing orders defined conditions of employment and conduct for a shift-based workforce. A statutory compliance calendar set out every recurring obligation, its due date and its owner.
Results
- A complete HR architecture for a new mining business, designed as one connected system, not a set of separate documents.
- Clear roles and accountability through a formal organisation structure and job descriptions.
- Consistent pay through a defined grade structure and benefits plan, ready for workforce expansion.
- Performance linked to the mine’s goals through the performance management system and balanced scorecard.
- Employment governance and compliance planned in advance through policies, SOPs, standing orders and a compliance calendar.
Why it matters
A company entering a new, regulated industry needs its people systems to be as ready as its equipment. As KTMPL’s HR functional expert, TNSL gave Power Mech a mining-ready HR function without having to build every piece in-house.
Project scale as announced by Power Mech in July 2023 (source).