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Last week, ver.di members attended a convention and trade show for the call centre industry in Berlin, to present the results of a survey of call centre staff.



The survey, which was conducted by ver.di, Germany's largest union, demonstrates high levels of dissatisfaction amongst call centre workers. 83% of participants described working conditions as poor, 88% complained of a lack of recognition of their work, and about 78% felt empty and burned out.



A ver.di spokesperson said that while the call centre sector is booming, this economic success comes at the expense of workers who have little job security, few holidays, long working hours and low wages. Ver.di says that the industry should be sharing the fruits of its success with workers.



In June 2009, ver.di made a collective agreement with call centre operator Walter Services which provides for a base wage of €7.50 per hour. The union says that this agreement should set a precedent for workers and employers in the industry to use collective structures and processes to determine wages and conditions.