Union Urges Colmar Brunton Boycott

In New Zealand, Unite Union has asked its members and the public not to participate in interviews conducted by market research agency Colmar Brunton, following the firm's decision to make fifty union members and other call centre staff redundant.

The North Shore call centre is to close before Christmas, as part of a restructure of Colmar Brunton's telephone-based fieldwork, which will now be integrated into the firm's regional network.

Field Services Manager Donald Carter explained: 'New developments in the technology we use to carry out telephone surveys, combined with the migration from traditional telephone-based surveys to Internet surveys, have forced us to re-evaluate the viability of continuing to maintain a separate contact centre.'

Carter said the company is consulting field staff and their representatives on the restructuring, and that any staff made redundant would receive their full entitlements. He claims that the company will also work with employee representatives and outside agencies to help those affected find alternative work.

However, Unite Union National Director Mike Treen says the firm's decision to close the unit leaves members facing the New Year without a job, income or any form of compensation.

In urging a boycott of the firm's surveys, Treen commented: 'If greedy Colmar Brunton bosses think it is fine to slam the door on workers, some of whom have more than ten years service, without any redundancy payment then New Zealand workers shouldn't give one moment of their time to complete Colmar Brunton surveys.'

Earlier in the year, more than 30 call centre workers at Synovate in Auckland, NZ, were locked out of their office after turning down a pay increase of 20 cents per hour. The workers were part of the union's 'Calling for Change' campaign to improve wages and conditions in Auckland call centres.

Web sites: www.unite.org.nz and www.colmarbrunton.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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