BPO Industry Compared to Slave Ship

A recent study by the W Giri National Institute of Labor has compared the Indian BPO industry to a slave ship. The report has created quite an outrage in the industry for brining to light the appalling working conditions in the BPO sector.

The study states that the employees are constantly under surveillance, giving the workplace an appearance of a 19th century prison. Closed circuit cameras and special softwares constantly monitor the work of the employees.

In the call centers, time taken to attend each call is scrutinized and the employees are expected to take a certain number of calls on an hourly basis. Employee performance is based on these conditions.

Several states in India have exempted call centers from labor laws, including the Industrial Dispute Act. The report states that this hampers the fundamental rights of the workers.

However, several top BPO organizations such as Nasscom have strongly refuted these claims. The BPOs say that they were not approached for any feedback for the report. According to several industry sources, although the institute that compiled the report is credible, there are several factors that negate the findings made by the report.

The Indian BPO industry leads the world when it comes to outsourcing. The firms provide their employees with several top-of-the-line amenities and comforts such as free transport services, recreational facilities, free meals and work-based incentives among other privileges. Indian outsourcing firms are also said to have the highest employee satisfaction rate in India when compared to the other industries.

Regardless of the new report, the fact remains that the BPO industry is steadily growing with each passing day. The BPO boom is here to stay, whether the critics like it or not.