News

Last week in the Philippines, the Employees League in ICT-Enabled Services ("E-Lites") kicked off a campaign to educate call centre and other BPO workers about labour rights and standards.



E-Lites has a Know-Your-Rights Forum on October 17, 2009 at one of the call centre hubs in Cubao, Quezon City.



The Forum featured a speaker from the country’s Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Ms. Ahmma Charisma Lobrin-Satumba, and a professor from the University of the Philippines School for Labor and Industrial Relations (UP-SOLAIR), Atty. Jonathan Sale.



Ms. Lobrin-Satumba presented the Decent Work Agenda for Call Center/BPO Workers which is focused on improving Occupational Safety and Health in the industry.



Atty. Sale presented the rights of workers as provided for by the country’s Labor Code particularly freedom of association, security of tenure, due process rules, procedures for legal termination of employment and labor standards regarding hours of work, overtime, rest days and leaves and social protection.



Around 30 call centre / BPO workers participated in the lively discussion on mandatory overtime, termination of employment, unrealistic and arbitrary performance targets.



The Know-Your-Rights Forum Series is part of on-going organising activities by UNI and its affiliates in the region and is part of the UNI Global Union Call Center Action Month.