A worker from Mayen Call Center in Adana

Hello Evrensel readers,

In November 2019, I started to work at a call centre, formerly known as Arvato, through the IŞKUR training program. I am going to tell you about how we were left to choose between our rights and employment.

Following a 19-day training programme, I started to take calls as a customer representative on the D-Smart project. At a meeting held on November 28, it was informed that D-Smart would terminate the contract. According to what they told us, we would continue to work if there was a project they could place us in, but if there was no project, unpaid leave would be given. On a meeting on September 28, we were asked to decide on the spot whether or not we would work on minimum wage, plus a possible premium, for the Vodafone project.

In the D-Smart project, in addition to our minimum wage, a premium was given according to our working success, plus our internet bill for working from home was covered and 10 TL (93p/$1.20) for lunch was provided on workdays. Although we did the same job in the Vodafone project, they changed the conditions. Lunch and internet money was cut. We have reduced the financial obligation on the employer by working from home. For example, let's consider all their expenses for hygiene; since there is nobody at the centre, there are no more cleaning expenses. I'm not even mentioning the profit they made from the savings on kitchen staff and other expenses like water.

“THEY DID NOT GIVE US A REAL CHANCE”

We were asked to make a decision on the spot. Considering all of what has been done as a precaution in the pandemic, they did not give us a real chance. Because unpaid leave is just a decorative name for unemployment. We accepted it because the economy was deteriorating during the pandemic and there were high numbers of unemployment in the country so we had no other choice. While there is no improvement to our working conditions (8.5 hours 6 days a week), many of our wages were cut. While there is no improvement in the burden and difficulty of the job, the cutting of the lunch and internet money for employees is doing nothing but complicating our conditions. While many rights of the employees are being crushed, the performance criteria that the employer expects from us does not change.

Since the place I work is corporate, we work 8.5 hours. When we work overtime, we get our overtime payment. However, call centre work is a difficult job and is in fact the second most difficult profession in the world. You have to both manage the call and take action to solve the problem. At the same time, you have to make sure the customers are satisfied.

I do not want to be unemployed and I have to work, I have debts.