A recent IDS survey estimates that the number of workers in "calling centres", currently about a quarter of a million, will rise to about a million in a handful of years. Meanwhile, as the ETHOS survey shows, there are already almost one million UK teleworkers as defined below.
New forms of employment inevitably lead to new forms of exploitation. Young and unorganised workers will feel increasingly isolated from the traditional forms of work organisation - and workers' organisation. Trade unions such as the Communication Workers Union are moving into these new areas. As Mary Williams Edgar's article on the Critical Path project points out below, on-line workers can start to self organise and share experiences.
My thanks to Mary Williams Edgar for her text, and Jagdish Parikh of the Union-D mailing list for circulating the ETHOS findings.
Quoted from ETHOS ( http://www.tagish.co.uk/ethos/news/lit1/d49a.htm )
18/12/97
Synopsis:
The current issue of the UK-based Teleworker magazine reports on the UK Labour Force Survey of Spring 1997. The survey showed that there are now 987,000 teleworkers in Great Britain, representing 4% of total employment. In addition, one third of employed teleworkers are in insurance, banking and finance.
The definition of a teleworker was someone who:
- works at home or uses the home as a baseFor further information:
The Telework, Telecottage and Telecentre Association: http://www.tca.org.ukOriginal Source: European Telework Online
As Union-D reports industries demanding more high-tech temporary workers and the growth of teleworking in the UK to 4 per cent of total employment, a new website, dedicated to the concerns of isolated workers worldwide is launched.
Critical Path, at http://www.criticalpath.co.uk addresses the problems of remote, part-time, freelance or self-employed workers as information technology allows the free movement of work across transnational boundaries.
Trade unionists and workers worldwide are writing for Critical Path - their initial contributions range from Marc Belanger (the moderator of SoliNet, the Canadian Union of Public Employees on-line conferencing system) who writes on the impact of the microcomputer on the workplace, to Jeremy Solomons, a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based independent consultant on international business and career planning issues who discusses the psychology behind the bargaining position of the independent contractor.
There are contributions as well from Thompsons Solicitors & Solicitor Advocates on "The Power of the Economic Bully". Plus an introduction to contract law from John Salmon, IT law specialist at BirdSemple, one of the leading Scottish corporate law firms.
Critical Path is currently collating examples of the worst practice freelance contracts in a move towards establishing a best practice model contract for digital highway workers which will be published on the Internet for free use by all. The main thrust of Critical Path is this - as a self-employed worker or independent contractor you are equal in contract law to any large company which employs your services. Learn how to stand up for your working rights against the "economic bully".
Future planned contributions to Critical Path include items on international contract and tax law, the impact of the minimum wage in the global marketplace and a view of the working terms and conditions of the US html slaves. The perspective of the global telecommunications industry and the politics of the ownership of the information highways will also be a central focus.
An issue on terms and conditions for agency workers is also planned.
Contributions from the collective experience of Union-D subscribers would be especially welcomed, as would links to Critical Path from your own labour-related sites.
For further information contact mary@criticalpath.co.uk
Critical Path is sponsored by Buchanan E-Mail Limited, the digital information design and website response handling company. Buchanan E-Mail forecasts that changing patterns of work will demand new and creative solutions to workplace relations. As businesses demand a positive creative input from their workforce investment in good working practices, especially in the use of remote workers, will be the foundation for future business success.
You can read more background to the ethos behind Buchanan E-Mail at http://www.buchanan.co.uk
In solidarity,
Mary Williams Edgar
Last update: January 1998
