New Delhi, July 17 - The state-run steel manufacturer Steel Authority of India (SAIL) will see its workforce whittled down by around 20,000 by 2012-end, the government said Friday.

'SAIL has been rationalising its manpower on an ongoing basis. It is being done through normal superannuation of employees on attaining the age of 60 years and through voluntary separation schemes,' said Minister of State for Steel A. Sai Prathap in Rajya Sabha, the upper house of parliament.

SAIL's manpower would get reduced by 20,000 by the end of the current Plan period if the existing trend of separation of workers continued, Prathap said.

The manpower strength of the SAIL, a Navratna company, stood at a little over 1.21 lakh at the beginning of the current fiscal.

Prathap said besides rationalisation of manpower, the company has promoted systemic changes like flexibility in deployment, automated working, adoption of best practices and cluster system of working.

This, he further said, had lead to improved efficiency and better work culture.