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New plans hatched to target transport call centres
2 December 2004
Low-grade working conditions, health and safety risks, high staff turnover, low wages and a lack of recognition for skills, were the challenges identified by participants in the ITF’s first ever meeting covering call centres in the transport industry, which took place last week in London.
Call centre workers - large numbers of whom are young women - are difficult to organise because of their physical location away from other transport workers and because employers restrict access to workplaces to avoid trade union organisation. Outsourcing of call centre work is another issue for trade unions organising in this area.
Thirty delegates from 16 countries heard positive experiences of fighting for professional recognition for call centre work, through campaigning, promoting the benefits to the employer of skilled workers and solidarity.
Neil Anderson of Union Network International (UNI), the lead Global Union Federation on this issue, explained UNI’s programme, highlighting UNI Call Centre Campaign Month, scheduled in October.
ITF delegates agreed to cooperate with UNI in the interests of organising transport call centre workers; in particular they supported participation in UNI’s action month.
Strategies to target transport call centre employers and multinationals where both UNI and ITF members are to be involved, were proposed. These would include education and research initiatives.
"Solidarity between workers in this area is key to global level organising and to improving working conditions. We need to build on the opportunities that globalisation presents - making sure call centre workers are unionised workers is such an opportunity," said Sarah Finke, ITF Women's Officer and Head of Information and Policy.
The event was an initiative of the ITF Women’s Committee and feeds into an overall ITF focus on women transport workers and globalisation.
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