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Teleperformance unions call on the company to respect human rights and French law
A coalition of trade unions representing Teleperformance workers from 11 countries are launching an international campaign today calling on the contact centre giant to respect human rights in its global operations—and to follow French law.
The unions are part of the Teleperformance Union Alliance, which issued a declaration that states the coalition’s intent to hold Teleperformance to international human rights standards adopted for multinational corporations.
“Teleperformance’s largest operations are in countries with some of the worst track records when to comes to protecting workers’ rights. It is critical that the company have a comprehensive plan to prevent problems which we already foresee,” said Christy Hoffman, General Secretary of UNI Global Union. “As contract centre employees, Teleperformance workers give voice to some of the most well-respected companies in the world, and we formed this alliance to make sure that Teleperformance workers have a say in their working conditions.”
Teleperformance’s largest operations globally include the Philippines, Mexico, Colombia and India. Trade unionists have previously raised questions about the company’s adherence to local labour law and international standards.
As a French company, Teleperformance is required to publish a due diligence plan and conduct a risk assessment to ensure that it complies fundamental human rights standards. Under the French Due Diligence law, the plan was supposed to be published in the company’s 2017 Annual Report, but the company did not do so.
The Alliance met in Belgium last week to draft the declaration. The unions say that Teleperformance should follow the example of other French multinationals and sign a global labour agreement that commits the company to respecting workers’ rights.
“Teleperformance’s failure to sign a global agreement and publish its due diligence plan in its annual report is not only a matter of concern for workers but also to their clients who rely on the company to maintain the highest standards,” said Teresa Casertano, Head of Department for UNI ICTS. “We are committed to working with Teleperformance to raising the bar on how it treats employees, and that will be a long-term benefit for the company, workers, and clients.”
Paris-based Teleperformance is the world’s largest provider of outsourced contact centre services. It is present in 76 countries and employs more than 280,000 workers around the world.
UNI Global Union is an international labour federation, based in Switzerland, representing 20 million service sector workers in more than 150 countries.