The Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) Labor Center has said that Business Process Out-sourcing (BPO) companies are nothing but a false hope for the unemployed and underemployed Filipinos because it does not give sustainable jobs.

"The jobs one could get from these companies are artificial jobs because these companies are the number one promoter of contractua-lization. A policy that is anti-labor and anti-worker, thus, in essence a violation of our labor rights." said Ronald Ian Evidente, KMU Negros spokesperson.

"Worse, these companies silently upholds the no-union no-strike policy implemented in every export processing zone," he added.

Evidente said that even with the seemingly non-stop hiring of thousands of new workers, BPO companies are also laying off thousands of workers in the guise of failing in the performance evaluation conducted by the company after three months.

"It is a shame for Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to say that the BPO industry ranks in the country as the top employing industry because they are also top labor rights violator," he said.

Last year, 169 BPO agents were laid off by Transcom City Bacolod but when summoned in the consultative meeting by the City Council Committee on Labor and Management Wilson Gamboa, Jr., Transcom City Bacolod Country Manager Shiva Subramanian admitted that there was a "process error" leading to the mass lay off. In December, Transcom City provided a list of recalled workers which apparently were affected by the "process error." However, when the recalled workers returned to work last month, the Human Resource Department denied to accept them, saying that the list was erroneous.

The militant labor center explained that if President Arroyo is serious in providing jobs for every Filipino, she must certify House Bill 6921, the act ensuring the welfare and protection of BPO workers and the recognition of their rights as provided for in the Labor Code of the Philippines.

"Arroyo must not only protect the profit of BPO companies, but must also protect the rights of the BPO workers to organize and collectively bargain. It is not enough to show `employment’ statistics but also laid off statistics brought by the policies implemented by call centers," Evidente said.*