Synovate Interviewers Start 'Hunger Strike'

In New Zealand, up to 20 market researchers at Synovate's east Auckland call centre will begin a 24-hour hunger strike today in protest at what they describe as 'poverty wages, inadequate breaks and no job security'.

Around 110 workers are based at the site where wages are said to be as low as $12.50 per hour, compared with $21.72 an hour made by their Australian counterparts. Trade union Unite claims that many call centres have set up shop in New Zealand so they can pay kiwi workers lower wages and offer worse working conditions than they could get away with in Australia.

To counter this, the union is demanding pay of $17 per hour for full timers and $15 an hour for part time staff. It is also asking for its members to be paid for shifts cancelled at short notice, five minutes break for each hour worked, and guaranteed hours for long-serving staff.

In a statement, Synovate confirmed that all employees are paid more than the minimum wage as stipulated by New Zealand law, and are provided break times during hours worked. It also said that hours of work are dependent on the volume of work booked by clients, and interviewers are aware of this when employed.

'It is regrettable that during a global downturn, when companies worldwide are doing their best to win business and preserve much-needed jobs, a few individuals are using the recession to negotiate for higher wages,' remarked Synovate's COO Robert Philpott.

Last month, Synovate blamed the recession for the forthcoming closure of its call centre in Miami, USA, which will result in the loss of 86 jobs.

However, pointing out that in 2007 the firm had a turnover of $720m while its UK parent Aegis made a £94.4m profit, Synovate call centre worker and union delegate Maria Evaroa complained: 'It was call centre workers like us who created that profit, yet in the good times we never saw our fair share.'

'Management has been telling us constantly that we should be tightening our belts,' she continued, 'so we decided to take them at their word.'

Synovate's management in New Zealand has been in negotiation with the union for the past four months and Philpott said they are committed to continue doing so. 'There is no disruption to client work as a result of this incident,' he added.

In December, interviewers working for data collection firm SurveyTalk in New Zealand also went on strike, claiming the firm had failed to improve rates of pay and health and safety standards. Unite National Director Mike Treen said that workers in the industry were being 'treated like battery hens'. SurveyTalk vigorously disputed these claims, which it said were 'inaccurate, defamatory and damaging'; pointed out that 'All companies in New Zealand have to comply with strict health and safety standards'; and described the strike as a breach of good faith, given that it said negotiations were 'ongoing and active with no cease or deadlock'.

Unite has established the 'Calling for Change' campaign to negotiate improved wages and conditions for its six hundred call centre members working at TNS, SurveyTalk, Synovate, UMR, Phoenix, MarketPulse, OCIS, Colmar Brunton, DigiPoll and Reid Research.

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

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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