Ringing the Changes? Union Recognition and Organisation in Call Centres in the UK Finance Sector

The massive rise in UK call centre employment in recent years has been closely related to developments in the finance sector. This paper analyses these developments in order to contextualise the organisational experiences of unions in the sector. Recruitment activity in both hostile and compliant employer environments, and findings from the first national survey of call centre employees' attitudes towards trade unionism, are discussed, and the prospects for union recruitment and organisation are assessed