In this BPO Corner:
Bill Filed Giving Call Center Workers Protection

Senator Mar Roxas has filed a bill giving more protection to workers in the booming call center industry.

“The call center industry employs an estimated 96,000 people with projected revenue of US$ 1 billion for 2005, it deserves utmost protection and attention,” Roxas, Chair of Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, said.

To protect the welfare of call center agents and skilled night workers, Roxas has filed Senate Bill 2071 that seeks to amend three provisions in the Labor Code.

Under the bill an employee who works the graveyard shift or from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. should be given free medical checkups to ensure fitness for night work, provided with free transportation services from their work site to areas where public transportation is readily available and be allowed to work under compressed or flexible time arrangement.

“Given the nature of call center business where work patterns and schedules are controlled by technology concerns, caller behavior, regulations in other countries, “ Roxas explained, “there is a need to adapt to the changing requirements of business while ensuring that the rights of workers to humane working conditions are protected.”

According to latest statistics from the Department of Labor and Employment, 70% of call center employees are women. Roxas argued that under the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) international standard pertaining to night work for women, which the Philippines adopted and was incorporated into the Labor Code since December 1953, women are prohibited from working at night in any private or public industrial undertaking except for managerial, technical, health and welfare services.

***
Originally published in the Manila Bulletin, page B-1, Business Bulletin Section, Sunday, October 2, 2005.