UNIONS representing Derry’s Firstsource call centre workers have called on the company to admit its mistakes and secure jobs in the city.
Derry Trades Union Council said the meeting was very well attended and it soon emerged that some workers only found out they were suspended when they couldn’t log in to their computers.
The shambolic nature of how Firstsource has managed the crisis was laid out at the public meeting with the First Source workers, Trade Unionists and local political representatives.
However the union wanted to strike a conciliatory note, saying it was in the interests of all for the situation to be settled and the SKY contract secured.
“Lessons must be learned from the situation at First Source both in terms of the current suspensions hanging over workers and the way in which that situation was handled by the Company,” said the Derry unions.
“It is in everybody’s interest to work to keep the Sky Contract at First Source in order to secure the substantial employment that the Company brings to the City.
“We must also learn as a society that workers have rights and have the right to join a Trade Union and to have that Union recognised by the employer.
“Confusion has arisen about the exact number of people who were actually suspended with Unions being made aware of the problem on Thursday.
“Only a limited number of workers were actually apprised in writing with no clear reason for suspension, others arrived at work to find that they had been locked out of signing in computer access and others were told by Team Leaders or colleagues that they were suspended.
“Little wonder then that the figures were being disputed. The Company at no stage gave a definitive figure or made any move to allay the fears of workers or the public.
“We believe that there was a systemic failure in the why in which the product in question was being sold in respect of the terms of agreement with the client and the workers were scapegoated.
“We will not abandon these workers and we will work to establish their rights and organise resources to defend any worker who might be disciplined arising from the current suspensions.
“Finally we would urge First Source to end it’s anti-Trade Union position and recognise Trade Unions in the form of a collective agreement in line with the good Industrial Relations which is reasonably expected of a company of this size in 2015.”
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