Workers of Teleperformance Multinational Massive Initiative in Athens

Statement of the Telecom & IT Workers’ Union of Athens (SETIP)

Enough is enough, our demands are fair, we will fight to achieve them

We salute the hundreds of Teleperformance employees who participated in the open meeting of Setip’s Union Committee at Teleperformance on Sunday the 28th, discussing the our vital role in the company, the increasing costs of living in Greece and demanding the “salary adjustments to economic realities, a seniority-based raise and food allowance”.

The Telecommunications Workers Union stands in solidarity and echoes the voice of hundreds of employees of Teleperformance Greece, who are struggling under the rising costs of living, rent, transportation and day-to-day expenses and are organizing to demand their rights.

We denounce the practice of the Company to absorb even the slightest state increases of the minimum salary by reducing the “employer’s bonus” to even it up to 1045 euro gross, which is the salary for most languages, while paying other employees 1300-1400 euro gross plus additional transportation and accommodation bonuses to do the same work for the same hours using a different language. These salaries have remained the same since 2010 whilst the cost of living has skyrocketed!

We strongly condemn the legal slavery that is named “special status visa” for all non-EU employees who are obliged to accept anything the management asks them to do in fear of losing their jobs and being deported, since they are blocked from working for any other employer of their choosing.

We condemn the constant “downsizing” from largest projects to smaller projects affecting hundreds of employees every year aiming to maximize the profits for a few months, using employees as “expenses”, before they hire again thousands of new people a few months later, to continue the same process again. During this “downsizing”, employees are forced to move to other projects unwillingly, even with reduced salaries, are forced to resign or stay unemployed for days or months until a new project is available for them or are dismissed without a renewed contract.  

We stand on the side of all those who suffer from severe stress and other occupational hazards due to the intensification of work, the constant pressure to meet increasing targets, the request for overtime and weekend work, never hearing a positive word about their work in order to avoid feeling valuable enough to demand their rights.

We raise our voices in solidarity with the young mothers who have lost their jobs after returning from maternity leave because the management refused to accept them back to work with the legal conditions that the labour law provides them, presenting their action as legal under the pretext of short term contracts utilizing various payroll companies.

We are SETIP, members of the Union’s Committee in the cubicle next to yours, regardless of nationality, gender, or any discrimination. We have one thing in common, we believe enough is enough! We do not beg anyone, we fight collectively because we know that this is the only way to win. This is how we have gain rights in the industry, as well as in Teleperformance before. 

SETIP is inviting the management of Teleperformance in a debate to sign a collective agreement that will cover all employees’ basic rights under its protection.

We demand:

1. Permanent contracts for all employees
2. 5 day-7 hour day-35 hours week
3. 20% Increase in monthly salary for all workers immediately. 10% Seniority-based raise every year
4. Automatic adjustment of wages based on the growth rate in consumer staples
5. Unhealthy allowance for headsets-work 15%
6. Foreign language allowance 10% for each language with recognition of the diplomas of all languages held by the employee, including the mother tongue, if different from Greek
7. Work Visa for all non-EU colleagues. Immediate abolition of the disgraceful “special purpose” visa
8. One hour break based on the prescribed regulation for working with monitors, excluding toilet breaks
9. Timely notice before any movement from one project to another
10. Full payment of work-from-home expenses (internet, electricity, heating or cooling and office equipment, including but not limited to computer, desk, anatomical chair, footstool, headset). Disconnection from all systems at the end of working hours
11. Protection of young mothers and people with health issues
12. Abolition of “clean desk policy” that violates fundamental human rights, causing health and hygiene issues (e.g. taking medicines and female hygiene products next to your place of work)

Based on the deliberations of the first open meeting held at the Labor Center of Piraeus with the massive participation of hundreds of employees, we are inviting all Teleperformance employees regardless of ethnicity and language skills to join us in the struggle with the following plan of action:

• Proteston Wednesday 31st of January, at 08:00 am in front of the TP Building in Piraeus, 25 Gravias Str. where a delegation will deliver our demands to the Management of Teleperformance
• 2nd Open Meeting of TP Employees, on Sunday at 11:00 am at the Labour Center of Piraeus, Omiridou Skilitsi Str.
• We declare that we are ready to proceed with all forms of struggle if the Management of Teleperformance denies our demands, escalating our struggle, to achieve what is fair

No one stays alone!

Together we strengthen our fight!

https://www.setip.gr/enough-is-enough-our-demands-are-fair/