A number of call centre workers have been compensated up to $NZ 11,000 for illegal job terminations, thanks to the work of their union, BIEN. These cases were taken up by paralegals, mainly women, who have been trained under the partnership project funded by UnionAID. Other claims are pending.
The youthful BIEN organisers use a range of creative ways to improve wages and conditions for their members. They attract workers through these campaigns and have grown their membership, even during the pandemic. Accessing workers can be difficult but they have overcome this by joining factory visits with health workers who provide cervical screening or HIV testing.
Unionists are always under threat in the Philippines but BIEN continues to ensure the labour rights of call centre workers are upheld, even with this risk.
