The Hindu Business Line : No unions please, say employees of top BPOs

THE BPO industry might be the eye of a storm on labour issues, with some Left parties resolving to educate workers about the benefits of organising themselves into unions, but a section of employees across established companies say they have enough negotiating power.

They feel they can take up issues with the management without the intervention of an organised union. The majority opinion was that unions could be counter-productive to the growth of the sector. Though employees admitted to issues such as high stress levels at workplace, long work hours, and night shifts, many attributed it to the nature of BPO operations where deadlines and data security became crucial.

"This is an industry where entry-level agents have the right to walk up to managers and speak about the issues they face in day-to-day working. In my view, a union would end this degree of transparency and informality," said an employee of iGate, who did not want to be identified.

Some BPO workers said that given the high attrition level and tight work schedules, employees moved from one organisation to another in quick succession and are therefore less inclined to get involved in organised union activities.

However, the problem of indifferent working conditions surfaces in smaller BPOs and call centres operating on low margins and cut-throat competition.

It is here that the employees don't get transport, are paid at the whims and fancies of owners, and made to work beyond stipulated working hours.

A retrenched worker from one such company said that a union would have helped his peer group negotiate a better severance package. His was a case of pink slips being distributed during a downturn.

"Freshers were asked to leave first and performance was not the criterion. At this stage I felt the need for a union to help us fight for our rights," he said.

And that's exactly what a worker from a high-profile BPO pointed out. Adverse working conditions could be in small BPOs that save on costs, but in international call centres, there is enhanced awareness on HR issues, he said. An employee in a tier I BPO recounted an experience where her team after an "on-the-job training" tour to the US complained about their manager's lack of co-operation.

"Once it was established that the person was poor on people management, the company acted immediately and removed him from the project. This is the level of transparency," she added.

While the pay package "may not be to the desired level", open work culture made people stick to the organisation, she said, citing monthly forums where employees were encouraged to bypass their managers and raise workplace-related issues with higher-ups.

"I feel that creation of unions would aggravate issues, and resorting to strikes could make global clients apprehensive about sending work to India, which in turn would hurt employees' prospects," she added.

"It would be better if unions concentrate on less-known BPOs where there is potential for exploitation. Well-known companies have their HR practices well in place," summed up an industry observer.

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