By Baburam Kharel

Call Centre workers suffer exploitation and frustration

Youngsters looking for a career at South Asian call centres are quitting their jobs thanks to heavy work pressure, exploitation and frustration. Sanjay Das, a resident of Lalitpur, worked at different call centres in Kathmandu for over four years. He quit a year ago, exhausted by work at night under severe pressure.

Das, who used to earn 20,000 rupees ($281) a month as supervisor, said over 80 per cent of employees at call centres quit a few months after joining.

Nepali youngsters earn from 6,000 to 40,000 rupees ($84.41 to $562.74) working at call centres, Das said.

"The moment you enter the workplace, you feel it is not a natural thing," Das says, referring to the need to work at night. "You may make good money but you have to risk your health."
Das worked at Serving Minds and Link Tree call centres, answering customers' calls from North America and Europe.

In a random interview with 10 working and former employees of three call centres — Serving Minds, Red Chariot and Link Tree — everyone complained of sleep disorders, depression and family discord.

"They exploit workers and do not provide the promised facilities," said Pankaj Khadka, 24, from Biratnagar, who worked at Serving Mind for four months. He said the company forced him to work up to 11 hours a day, though the vacancy announcement had mentioned only eight hours.

Though there is no official data on the number of workers engaged in the outsourcing sector in the country, a former employee of Serving Mind, Manish Koirala, says that around 2,000 people are currently employed.

Dr Mirgendra Raj Pandey, chairperson of Nepal Hypertension Society, said working during night hours, continuous frustration and depression can lead to heart disease and digestive problems.

"Lured by a lucrative offer, I took up the job," said Sushant Koirala, 21, who worked for Red Chariot for three months. "I left after I was not paid what was promised," he said. He was promised 6,000 rupees ($84.41) per month, but got only 4,000 rupees ($56.27 rupees).

Operators of call centres say they have been unfairly singled out for problems that exist in other occupations also. "There are youngsters who quit after a short period. The reason for this is that only good performers survive here, as it is a tough job," says Rajneesh Kakauti, supervisor of Serving Minds where more than 400 youths are employed.

Most of the workers work at night and sleep, watch television or stay home alone during daytime.