Employers accept call-centre guidelines

Guidelines for call centres across Europe have been agreed between the European union federation representing workers in the telecommunications industry - UNI-Europa Telecom - and European telecommunications employers.

The guidelines, which are to be launched on 15 June, aim to promote "quality employment and a high standard of customer service".

Specifically they include: effective management of stress; re-training for staff to keep them up to date with new technology; consultation with employees on future plans; a level of staffing that takes account of the needs of both customers and employees; and a commitment to keep staff informed of any arrangements for performance monitoring.

The guidelines do not have any legal force but they can be used to put pressure on employers. Bill McClory of the UK telecommunications union, the CWU, said his union would be monitoring the agreements and would be "looking to build on these principles".