Union Busters Target Call Centres

Date: 12 February 2001

The law firm that represented Patricks in the waterfront dispute is now drumming up business in a bid to keep unions out of the call centre industry.

The law firm, Freehill, Hollingdale and Page are touting special seminars for call center employers around the country in March aimed at resisting a national Code of Conduct for the industry.

The top end of town lawyers this week issued a media release this warning that the trade union organizing drive into call centers "will pose a serious challenge for employers."

Freehills says the Call Centre Code of Conduct, developed by the ACTU and some employers poses a particular threat.

"Employers need to be aware that if enough of them sign up to this code, the unions will push for it to become the benchmark for award and other legally binding industrial instruments," Freehills say.

"It will also mean that so-called 'rogues' (employers who don't sign up) will be under greater pressure from union campaigns to come on board.

"Call centers must have strategies in place to ensure staff alignment, as those who do not accept union demands may be publicly attacked to shift their loyalty towards the union." There is, unfortunately, no definition for the meaning of 'staff alignment'

We Must be Something Right

Australian Services Union services branch state secretary Luke Foley says the push is proof that unions are making inroads in the call center industry.

"This is a growth area where we are seeing a real need for collective action," Foley says.

"While it's a hard slog, we are starting to see the results of the past few years work with a steady stream of call centre workers choosing to join their union

The ASU is one of a group of trade unions who have been working with the ACTU to develop the Code of Conduct and organize campaigns around its implementation.

The group have built a website, Call Central, which can be accessed at http://www.callcentral.com.au/

For further information

Contact:	Peter Lewis
Union:	Labor Council of NSW
WWW:	http://workers.labor.net.au/

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