- Conference
- 2004 Energy Service Group Conference
- Date
- 27 February 2004
- Decision
- Carried
This Conference believes that the Data Protection Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act should -provide its membership with personal protection equal to that of the Human Rights Act. We believe that the high sickness levels within call centre employees has direct links with the oppressive environment, constant supervision and targets set within this area of the business.
This Conference calls on the Energy Service Group Executive to:
i)Use all opportunities available to discuss the unacceptable levels of sickness absence in the call centre environment with the Health and Safety Executive, the TUC and the employers;
ii)Encourage the Health and Safety Executive to carry out a study of the causes of sickness absence levels in call centres including any environmental factors that may impact on the health and welfare of our members;
iii)Carry out a survey to identify:
a)How many of its branches have members who work in call centres?
b)The number of staff employed on those call centres?
c)If the staff who work on those call centres have specific targets to achieve?
d)Have those targets been agreed after trade union consultation and negotiation?
e)The levels of sickness absence within the call centre population in working hours lost per month/year?
iv)Publish a report including the above information and a league table showing:
a)Sickness absence levels in numbers of working hours lost by each employer in each service industry where there are UNISON members;
b)Sickness absence levels in numbers of working hours lost in each service industry in non-call centre environments within the same service industries;
c)National average sickness absence levels in the call centre environment;
d)National average sickness absence levels in non-call centre clerical workers.
v)To give advice and guidance to its branches on best practise in consultation with employers over these issues;
vi)Publicise the results of its survey to raise awareness within our own membership and to promote and encourage better working practices within our call centres.
In order to fulfil all of the above, we call on the Energy Service Group to make recommendations for higher tests and more distinct guidelines in the wording of the Data Protection Act and the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act.