The It’s your call hotline, launched as part of the TUC’s campaign on call centre working, has taken almost 400 calls in its first week. In just six days, 397 call handlers from all over the UK have contacted the TUC to complain about bullying, impossible sales targets, not getting wages on time, and hostility to unions.

Calls have come from all over the UK, but nearly a third (30%) have been from those working in the call centres of South Wales (15% of all calls) and Scotland (14%). Many of the callers are women although 30% of the calls so far have been from men. Most people calling the line - 68% - are non-union members.

The freephone hotline, 0800 032 0033, will run until 9pm on Friday 23 February. Call centre workers who prefer to email stories to the TUC, can do so until Friday at www.tuc.org.uk/yourcall

Callers to the line so far have reported:

being forced to go into work to report in sick, instead of being able to phone in

having to put their hands up to go to the toilet, and then being monitored over how long they spend there

being given only a three second break between calls

not being allowed to take more than three days leave in one go, preventing anyone from booking a proper holiday.

One caller was disciplined for being idle - after he left a six second gap between calls. Another complained that her bosses wouldn’t allow Christmas decorations in the office because they claimed it was a health and safety hazard. According to an office memo, the mice in the office were not.

According to another caller, one call centre manager took disposable nappies into work saying the staff that used the toilet the most, would be told to wear one. The call centre has a ’shame’ board to monitor staff progress. If anyone is on the board for three weeks, they are dismissed.

Another caller said his employer made people take part in a monthly general knowledge quiz. If one of the quiz teams get less than 95% three times, they are disciplined.

Several callers rang to say they were on long term sick, and even taking anti-depressants, because of the stress of the job. Others report an openly hostile attitude to unions. Call handlers have been told they can’t join and some say they’ve been dismissed for doing so.

TUC General Secretary, John Monks, said: 'Many call centres already treat their staff with respect and others are making a real effort to clean up their act. But these figures show there are still too many centres using bullying tactics to pressurise and intimidate employees. According to reports on our hotline - some call centres seem to be openly flouting the law.'

Where calls have come from

region	percentage of calls to hotline	call centre employment in regions
North West	9%	17.1%
South East	12%	15.8%
Scotland	14%	12%
Yorkshire & Humberside	7%	8.5%
East Anglia	3%	8.1%
West Midlands	7%	8%
South West	8%	6.9%
North East	8%	6.8%
Greater London	9%	6.6%
East Midlands	5%	4.7%
South Wales	15%	4.7%
North Wales	2%
Northern Ireland	0.5%	0.8%

Call centres - the facts

Call centres employ over 400,000 people - more than in the coal, steel and vehicle manufacturing industries put together.

Predictions are that by 2008, there will be over 665,000 full time equivalent jobs in the industry.

At least 9,000 jobs were created in the call centre industry in the six months to January 2001.

Call centres are characterised by low pay. The TUC’s report on call centres, It’s your call, shows call centre workers earn £9,000 less than average pay.

However, the concentration of call centres in areas like Glasgow and South Wales are said to be driving standards, and pay, up. Some call handlers can earn in excess of £20,000.

Around 44% of call centres are unionised. Unionisation is more likely to occur in the public sectors, the privatised utilities and finance. These call centres are also more likely to pay better.

Notes to Editors:

The TUC’s call centre report, It’s your call is available.

All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk

A free advice leaflet on call centre workers rights is available on the It’s your call line. After the line closes, the leaflet will be available together with a series of TUC rights leaflets on the know your rights line 0870 600 4 882. Lines are open every day from 8am-10pm. Calls are charged at the national rate.

Contacts:

Media enquiries: Stephanie Power 020 7467 1310 Liz Chinchen on 020 7467 1248 or 076 99 744115 (pager)

Other enquiries:

Press release (900 words) issued 20 Feb 2001

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