Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Trade Unionism in Indian BPO-ITeS Industry - Insights from Literature


Affiliations
1 School of Business and Human Resources, XLRI Jamshedpur 831001, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


This paper looks at the trends in outsourcing industry in India visa- vis the role played by the industry related factors in rebuffing (or accepting) unionization of its workers. The examination is based on the review of extant literature on working and employment conditions of BPO-ITeS and call centre employees. The paper highlights the role of key policy actors in the external environment and internal (organizational or contextual and individual) dispositions that were instrumental in the failure of the unionization effort in the beginning. It shows the significant impact of the competitive pressures in the changing nature of employee relations in Indian BPO-ITeS industry.
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Bain, P. & P. Taylor (2000), "Entrapped by the 'Electronic P anopticon'? Worker Resistance in the Call Centre", New Technology, Work and Employment, 15 (1): 2-18.
  • Bain, P & Taylor, P (2008), "No Passage to India? Initial Responses of UK Trade Unions to Call Centre Offshoring", Industrial Relations Journal, 39(1): 5 - 23.
  • Chandr asekhar, C.P (2005), "IT-Services as Locomotive", Frontline, 22 (13): 1-4.
  • Chennai-based (2006), "Who Says BPOs Don't Have Unions"? The Telegraph, Sunday, November 05 (Calcutta).
  • Herod, A (2001), "Labour Internationalism and the Contradictions of Globalisation: or, Why the Local is Sometimes Still Important in a Global Economy", Antipode, 33(3): 407-26.
  • Kelly, J. (1998), Rethinking Industrial Relations: Mobilization, Collectivism and Long Waves, London: Routledge.
  • Moody, K (1997), Workers in a Lean World, Verso, London.
  • Noronha, E. & P. d'Cruz (2006), "Organising Call Centre Agents: Emerging Issues", Economic and Political Weekly, 27 May 2006,2115-21.
  • Sandhu, A (2006), "Why Unions Fail in Organising India's BPO-ITES Industry," Economic and Political Weekly, 140ct: 4319-22.
  • Sarkar, S (2008), "Individualism-Collectivism as Predictors of BPO Employee Attitudes Toward Union Membership in India", Asia Pacific Journal of Management (In Press).
  • The Hindu (2006), "Employees Union Set Up in IT Sector", Nov 15 (Kolkata).
  • UNI Apro (2005) Introducing UNI Apro's CBPOP Project, Official Notice, June 25 (Singapore ).
  • UNI. (2005) Conditions of work and attitude toward trade union, UNI Apro Survey on Indian BPO Professionals, Switzerland.

Abstract Views: 243

PDF Views: 0




  • Trade Unionism in Indian BPO-ITeS Industry - Insights from Literature

Abstract Views: 243  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

Santanu Sarkar
School of Business and Human Resources, XLRI Jamshedpur 831001, India

Abstract


This paper looks at the trends in outsourcing industry in India visa- vis the role played by the industry related factors in rebuffing (or accepting) unionization of its workers. The examination is based on the review of extant literature on working and employment conditions of BPO-ITeS and call centre employees. The paper highlights the role of key policy actors in the external environment and internal (organizational or contextual and individual) dispositions that were instrumental in the failure of the unionization effort in the beginning. It shows the significant impact of the competitive pressures in the changing nature of employee relations in Indian BPO-ITeS industry.

References