Call centers and trade unionism in Portugal. A case study through the press
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2022.134Keywords:
unionism, renewal, strike, call centers, affiliation, moral powerAbstract
This article aims to describe the main causes of the formation of a new trade union in Portugal, in a global context of trade union decline. The aim is to point out the importance of moral power in the debate on trade union renewal. Its initial interest can be found on 19 February 2019 in Braga (Portugal), when call center workers gathered in front of Concentrix's headquarters to demand certain labour rights and respect for their profession. This strike was called by the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores de Call Center (STCC), which had been legalized just five years earlier. It was a protest that continued the following year and under the same fundamental demand, the claim for professional dignity.
For this study, we based our methodological approach on the compilation of news published in the main Portuguese newspapers and on the review of related literature, together with the consultation of the official publications and statutes of the aforementioned union. As advanced conclusions, we highlight the complaints made by the STCC about the lack of professional respect, linked to compliance with labour regulations, together with the need for greater participation within the union and the offensive orientation of its trade union action. These actions have led many workers to form a union but have also contributed to their distancing from the large Portuguese trade union federations.
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