RSL Penny Pinches On Pee Breaks

Date: 14 August 2003

Workers at RSL COM Chatswood Call Centre are being forced to time themselves going to the toilet and make up the time at the end of the day or risk losing pay.

CEPU members have today begun a campaign to end the harassment they have suffered over taking toilet breaks and the excessive surveillance and monitoring that they have endured.

More than 60 workers have been directed to log off on 'Personal' to go to the toilet. They then have to add up the time they have spent in the toilet and work extra time to make up for the toilet break.

"We are disgusted by this over-the-top behaviour by management. It is a step back to the 19th century" said Alice Salomon, Branch Organiser with the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union, NSW Telecommunications and Services Branch (CEPU NSW T&S) .

"It is demeaning for grown adults to be treated like school kids and have to account for the time taken to go to the toilet".

"This is money hungry penny pinching at its lowest. Managers are spending more time on monitoring toilet breaks than it actually takes to use the bathroom".

"How many CEOs have to account for the cost to the company of emptying their bladder?" Ms Salomon asked.

"It is humiliating and degrading" said one RSL COM call centre worker today describing the log off requirement.
"People are being called into the manager's office every day and questioned on how much time they have spent going to the toilet".
"We just want to be treated with respect and dignity" said the worker.
There are serious health consequences from not going to the toilet when nature calls, including urinary tract infections, incontinence, constipation and bowel distension.
Ms Salomon said, "We are seeing yet another example of the excessive monitoring and bullying behaviour that is happening in call centres throughout Australia. They are becoming our modern day sweatshops"
"It is an attack on the workers' dignity and indicative of what bosses think they can get away with in Tony Abbott's anti-worker, anti-union industrial relations climate"
"Going to the loo is a right, not a privilege" Ms Salomon said.

For further information

Contact:	Alice Salomon
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
Phone:	02 9281 2811

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