The 10111 call centre workers are calling for solidarity at their picket outside the Labour Court in Keerom Str, Cape Town, today at 10am. Off-duty workers will be picketing in defence of their demands. They have been in a battle with the state since 2003 over discrimination in wage levels and a number of conditions of employment. The call is for equal pay for equal work and for an end to conditions that hamper the centre as an emergency unit. Workers are unhappy that flatscreen tv's are installed with the sports channel, while workers have old computers that often freeze and cause huge call queues (resulting in many dropped calls- ie when callers are frustrated at the long wait and just hang up). Even when members of the public get through and the call is cut (due to airtime running out), call centre workers have to clock out and call people back on their own time. Such time is accumulated and deducted from the workers' wages. Even if calls finally get through, often the police do not go- in working class areas this is often the case. This highlights the real role of the police: is it really to defend the poor or in reality, just to defend the rich?

After years of battle the state has finally answered, giving reasons why they discriminate and why they impose conditions that cripple the 10111 call centre's operations for the working class.

17.11.2011