Unions in the Information Economy: Info-service Work and Organizing in Australian Call Centres

Abstract

Recent analyses of the labour movement in Australia have focused on declining densities and the loss of trade union influence and power. While some attention has been paid to the challenges posed for organizing in new economic sectors, less work has been done on the opportunities that such sectors may offer. This article focuses on info-service work in call centres. Although the labour processes, human resource management policies and labour market strategies of call centres have been subjected to considerable debate, little attention has been paid to the determinants of trade union representation in call centres. This article provides an analysis of worker perceptions of trade unions across 20 different centres and some of the factors that influence the decision to join or refrain from joining a trade union.