Prick up your ears: it's time to close the call centre sweat shops

The image of one of the UK's fastest growing employment sectors is more than beginning to lose its lustre. Almost one in 50 employees now works in call centres - that's more than in the coal, steel and vehicle manufacturing sectors combined. By 2008, there will be over 665,000 jobs in the industry.

And yet the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has discovered that the average call centre agent would need to add £8,000 to their salary to reach the average wage. Operators in Wales on average receive £11,100 a year. The highest paid, based in London, get £14,050.

In late 1999, BT came under fire for allegedly criticising a pregnant member of its call centre staff for the 'excessive' time she spent away from her desk in the toilet. Her colleagues threatened to strike.

And now, the TUC has revealed that call centres are a real health hazard - and not just because Joe Public likes screaming down the phone.

Just as repetitive use of keyboards can lead to injury, so too can listening to endless phone calls. It's known as acoustic shock. You can get high-pitched ringing in your ears you can get permanent tinitus. BT has already paid out nearly £90,000 in damages in one such case. But BT is certainly not the only offender.

The TUC has launched a campaign - It's Your Call - to make sure call handlers know their rights, and to raise the status of call centres by encouraging shoddy employers to improve their standards.

We fully support that campaign.

Obviously, it would be nice if call centre managers try to make conditions as bearable as possible whatever the circumstances. Commercial pressures mean that's unlikely.

But now that serious money is being discussed, we hope that anyone in a position of responsibility in call centres throughout Europe will prick up their ears, for their own benefit and for that of their employees. Staff morale is at stake staff health is at stake companies' profits are at stake.

Any one of these three factors represents a compelling argument for taking action. Now. Even if it is the quest to avoid litigation that finally provokes a reaction, then so be it.

* The TUC is running a telephone hotline for call centre workers to report their bad bosses - 0800 032 0033. They can also use the web to get in touch - see http://www.tuc.org.uk/yourcall