THE so-called “cyber-coolies” of India’s IT call centres are revolting. They have formed a faceless “e-union” and are planning to target British and American clients in a campaign to improve their terms and conditions.

India is the world’s top provider of business-process-outsourcing (BPO) call centres, and now generates over $30 billion (£15 billion) a year selling cheap back-office services. The secret of its success has been young graduates working nights for around £200 a month — less than a sixth of that earned by call-centre staff in Britain.

They are becoming restless over low pay and aggressive management that will not negotiate with traditional trade unions.

They have formed an underground union, which, instead of appealing to the managements of Indian- owned BPO firms, will approach their British and American clients for support. Those who refuse may face a sabotage campaign by the same workers who have slashed their costs.

“BPOunion” was formed recently following a dispute between Keane India — a multinational call centre and BPO company that provides IT support to the US government and British motor-spares maker Unipart.

The company outraged call-centre workers when it sacked 400 staff without compensation. Now the cyber-coolies have warned they will target the company’s investors and clients unless the workers are reinstated or paid redundancy terms.

The union is led by an anonymous “chief”, who, in a letter on the group’s website, warned Keane and other BPO companies that the union would target clients and investors and sabotage their share price if they did not consider staff demands.

“We request that either an appropriate severance package be given to the sacked employees or they be reinstated,” the letter said. “Failing positive action from you we retain the right to lawful, logical and legal means to get our grievances resolved.”

In a declaration on the group’s website, its “chief” said that instead of challenging Indian employers head-on with strikes it would target their share price and investors’ confidence by briefing key clients about how the firm is run. It believes British and American firms will ditch controversial call- centre firms because it is easy to switch to another.

“Gap and many others have always dissociated themselves from any exporter employing questionable employee policy. Clients do not want their vendor’s bad eggs spilling over themselves — they will stay clear of companies whose policies are objectionable or repressive.

“For very stubborn offenders we may have to fall back on more traditional ways,” he said.

“Our main idea is to educate them, how their ‘second-in-line’ people who engage in daily operations, who dismiss unions with disdain, will cause harm to their stock prices,” he said.

A spokesman for Keane India said it had met all its statutory obligations in relation to the workers who had been made redundant.

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