eUnions take the fight to Stock Prices

We are NOT fighting Company managements but your Company Stock Price … shadow boxing?!

Most BPO Managements are yet to wake-up to the new age eUnion. To give the benefit of doubt, they may not have even heard of this phenomenon, leave alone having any knowledge of it in any form. Allow us to educate CXOs.

1. We have maintained since the start that we are NOT a Union in the regular sense as most people understand.
2. Our primary fight is NOT via strikes or physical gathering of any kind, though that may be a secondary or tertiary tool to engage people who have gone blind or deaf to employee concerns.
3. Our primary fight is not to take on (pardon us for the dis-favor) these ’second-in-line’ decision makers (mainly VPs, Presidents & CXOs) but to engage with Key Investors of various BPOs.
4. Our main idea is to educate them, how their ’second-in-line’ people who engage daily operations, who dismiss Unions with disdain, will cause harm to their Stock Prices when there is immense public humility and media pressure. Not traditional media but new-age media – Blogs wikis etc.
5. We are already engaged with key formulations in various stock markets, people whose job is to educate Investors on parking their moneys in interesting (profitable) companies.
6. Few people who we spoke to have shown firm determination to keep away from investing in companies where unrest may lead to immense downgrading in the Stock Prices.
7. And how do you think the persons now dismissing organizations like BPO Union will respond to their shareholders.
8. This new-age eUnion will engage you in a fight where it is difficult to fight back. Who do you fight when your investors lose confidence in you. Fighting us may not solve your problems then. Ways to continuously keeping your investors secured in their investments may be the answer. But then we will keep telling them otherwise, until BPOs give up their not-so-just practices.
9. We are prepared. You fire a few of us and we’ll get our job somewhere else. You must start worrying about where you’ll find yours if you lose the one you have now!
10. We invite comments from BPOs and any other(s) who may wish to engage in a discussion here.

Chief
(BPO Union 2.0)

Retract & Recall – Etrack, National Skills Registry

The headline in our message says it all. In just three words – Retract and Recall. We’ve said many things over the past few days and tried to say it mildly. Yet over some issues of critical importance we’re outright singular in our assertions.

Etrack (by BPIAI) and National Skills Registry (by NASSCOM) have many flaws, logically, socially and legally. And then they collectively tell you that the industry does not need a union, that everything is so well taken care of by them. A dialog from a movie says it all “They’re peeing all over my head and telling me its raining”…

On a serious note lets look at a few things (in no order or preference):

• These organizations are illegally selling data – They cannot and should not venture into illegal territory, so Etrack and BPIAI must consider their legal positions. Before these companies get get too excited for a debate let us validate our statement. Our Legal guide, a well known tough cookie in the legal fraternity, tells us that these registries are membership driven. So money is collected for a membership and access to the database is provided via such member subscriptions. And say what, these companies don’t even want us to register, they will conveniently mis-use our personal information for their benefit and peddle it further for a cost. You cannot sell our personal information, no sir, absolutely no part of it, to anyone, if we do not give you the explicit permission to do so. And these companies make big claims on Data Privacy to their clients while practicing exactly the opposite at home. They sit on big Govt committees making data privacy policies one day to violate blatantly the same principles the very next day in their very backyard.
• Socially you are in the wrong, friends - A large part of the employees in our industry is women. Companies cannot just keep collecting and sharing a woman’s information (even so much as where she works, her name, father’s name etc) as it may put her to ‘risk’ even if it is un-intentionally. Please, we most humbly request you not to put unsuspecting women to risk. Ir-respective of what companies may say, we are readying to fight their assertions with public support and support from ‘Women’s Rights Groups’ too. In getting too excited over trying to implement these registries these companies may turn it into a complete PR disaster for themselves. We’ll let them decide.
• Citing Banks as a parallel effort may be totally flawed – Many companies have said that Banks have a list of defaulters and so BPOs must have it too. They have a lot of facts to realize. First, the list banks maintain is tenable in law as these are people who have committed ‘crimes’ and hence it is important to keep them off other banks. They are fraudsters and criminals. But if you try telling that shifting jobs frequently is a crime, we’d laugh at you, and the courts will not agree either.
• A PIL may be necessary to ward you off our backs – In case BPOs (with their money muscle, associations and registries) do not stop pressurizing people into submission we will be forced to file a PIL in the court of law. ‘Human Rights’ groups are willing to support our just cause. And there is a straight-forward strong case in our favor. We welcome disagreement from companies.
• Forceful arm-twisting of employees is wrong – BPO companies are strong proponents of all things politically correct. What they practice is, however, a different matter. It is coercion. Visit the www.nationalskillsregistry.com and we quote from the main page “Wipro requires new joinees to register on NSR”. How can they (and why should they) ‘require’ someone to be part of a database as a pre-requisite for employment? Now this is what one may call taking it too far. We hope that better understanding prevails and they can stop before crossing the point of no return. Today we will reason it out but when left with no choice we shall fight it out.
• A signature Campaign to recall these registries – The fact that we may need stronger measures than just polite talk is gaining favor as we talk to more and more people. A PIL is an option but before that we may start an online petition to communicate employees’ dis-pleasure towards these registries which violate our rights as humans and as employees. Look at what TRAI has done in the Telecom sector. A telecom (or any telemarketer) cannot use my personal information, including tel no for any purpose without my explicit permission. Legally the same logic would apply to these skill registries and we are planning to meet the HR Ministry for Govt intervention on behalf of employees.

The message is very clear “BPO Union calls for a total and immediate retract & recall by BPIAI (Etrack) and NASSCOM (NSR) with a public apology to all BPO employees whose sensibilities may have been hurt by their thoughtless acts”.

Chief

Emlpoyees make Companies or Companies make Employees?

Does this headline qualify for the legendary chicken’n'egg case? To most people it would seem so. But in an industry driven by such a large number of people, one which is getting more structured by the day, it would be a realistic assumption that ‘employees’ definitely make ‘companies’. As recent as 2-3 years back the opposite was closer to the ‘real’ but things change with time.

Which makes it a bit tougher for your average HR specialist to deal with attrition and a progressively (very) demanding workforce. In the mel’ee, globally, many geographies are coming up with their own offerings. All trying to make their countries cheaper-better destinations for the outsourcer. Confusing the daylights out of the senior BPO executive, with so many diverse options to choose from and still manage it all deftly.

Look at smaller (Tier2/ Tier3) cities within India and you can easily go back those 2-3 years. In these cities since the opportunity has not yet surfaced totally for the educated unemployed, and companies setting up their big swanky offices can sparkle these young minds it is still the ‘companies’ who make the ‘employee’. When that dries up they move to an even smaller location. A good example is how companies are turning towards Rural BPOs. If our research is any indication there has been a recent spurt in this phenomenon. And as things ‘change’ in smaller cities they will become more like the larger ones.

We recently met a large number of people from smaller cities just to take a grasp over their issues. The verdict is clear – ‘employees make companies’, now more than ever. The sooner our employers realize it, the better.

Recollect the classic advert for Cadbury’s Perk. It said ‘either you will like it … there is no or’. Is there a message in it for everyone, you decide.

Chief

“BPO Union” No 1 on Google / Yahoo / AOL / Rediff / Indiatimes …

Within days of existence, our Technology guide has worked a miracle for us. “BPO Union” is No 1 on Google Search and very highly on almost all popular website like Yahoo/ Rediff/ Sify/ AOL/ MSN etc.

Try searching for “BPO Union” on any of them (and more) to see for yourself.

Our Marketing guide has taken this initial lead by Technology as a personal challenge and promised to make us the leading blog in the BPO industry globally, in less than 6 months.

We hope that these two keep fighting and keep pushing the bar for each other. The final effect is – benefit from their internal competition. As long as the results work for us we’re not complaining.

Cheers,

Chief

Open Letter to Journalists – Thank You!

Dear Friends,

We heartily appreciate your interest in us. For record, we have by now received 14 mails from leading journalists across media requesting an interview.

There is a lot of negativity associated with “Unions” in India and we as a people have yet to embrace the greater meaning of what a Union can be besides its ugly face which is most visible, unfortunately.

We decided that to put as many people and companies at ease as we can, we shall shy away from physical display of any kind. We are however open to answering your questions but shall restrict to online activity. In fact we will desist from any activity except creating a strong platform online. If time and necessity so desires we shall create a physical (offline) presence but that seems a distant act. Until then we are open to communicating with you on/ through our blog and e-mails – we would most appreciate if you ask your questions openly on the blog itself. We do not have a nominated spokesperson and choose to live and work in personal oblivion.

We do have a team of very highly qualified (experienced) comprising PR, Technology, Marketing and Legal guides who tune our strategy and we are well funded for our purpose. Our blog will be updated and ‘key partnerships’ will be visible soon. Keep visiting us and you’ll find us to be very friendly online hosts too! Hope to see your comments (questions/ interview) online. When you do ask questions, for complete transparency, do mention the company that you represent. We assure you that you shall not be disappointed in us … we shall always be open to criticism as well as share all we can with you … only no names please. Not for now at least.

Thanks again.

Warm regards,

Chief

Categories for discusion on this blog

In less than 18 hours of launch we have received more than 30 e-mails and on last count 22 hits. Many people wanted to know about the Categories under which one may blog here so here we are with Categories and their scope.

(pssstt) Among these mails we also have 4 journalists from leading media (news) outfits wanting to know more. Our newly formed community already seems to be getting some attention.

Fun Events Is anything interesting happening. PLEASE tell everyone about it. De-stress yourself. Others are telling you where the Fun is. You are enjoying it.

Grievance@Work Sad about something at work – Say It. Mad about something at work – Say It.

Health Do you face health issues working in a BPO? Ask other how they deal with the same issues. Tell others how you deal with the same issues.

Legal Issues Ahan! So you have no idea about your legal rights in a BPO environment. Ahan! So you have no idea about your legal duties in a BPO environment. Do you know what your employers’ Legal rights against you are? Do you know what your Legal rights against your employer are? Any of the above ring a bell … Ask or Tell.

Workforce Security How far is your employer bound to secure you? Physical security is important – Emotionally secured by your employer? Do you have a ‘real and workable’ sexual harassment policy and committee? Where you can and will be addressed if ever (God forbid) you are harmed? Your employer ever heard of Gender Sensitization? Have you ever gone through a formal seminar to address all of the above?

400 people laid off by Keane India … just like that!

There is anguish at the news report that appeared today in Economic Times (looks like the report is taken off from the newspaper’s website – their PR firm – may be working overtime to manage the damage) … thus begins BPO Union.

The report tells in gory details how disrespectfully (in an unanticipated move) Keane India laid off their people. And then we continue to hear about the good ways in which IT and BPO companies treat their staff … its all a BIG BLAH!

We do not mean to tell companies how to run their businesses nor do we intend to oppose any layoffs which are due to logical business reasons. But this is not the way to treat their employees. We want to know how these companies would react if in one swipe (over disagreement with the management) the employees would go on strike? They’d sure want their employees to have spoken to them … communication etc etc … but if it’s their turn they can treat us like slaves.

No Sir(s) … and No Ma’am(s) … not anymore. You must realize that we have rights and now is the time we will start to exercise them. Many people affected by Keane have been spoken to and you shall see that we reserve the right to protest peacefully, legally and lawfully.

We’ll start by an online campaign to tell people how good an employer Keane India is. By the way a few employees who have been treated badly for some time now have some really interesting things to tell the world about this employer. This will trigger off many more people to come online to support this ‘coming together’ of people called BPO Union.

Chief