Penny pinching on toilet breaks

Workers at the RSL COM Chatswood Call Centre in Sydney's north are being 
forced to time themselves going to the toilet and to make up the time at 
the end of the day or risk losing pay.

The workers, members of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union 
(CEPU), have begun a campaign to end the harassment they have suffered over 
taking toilet breaks and the excessive surveillance and monitoring that 
they have endured.

More than 60 workers have been directed to log on "Personal" to go to the 
toilet. They then have to add up the time they have spent in the toilet and 
work extra time to make up for the break.

"We are disgusted by this over-the-top behaviour by management", said CEPU 
Branch Organiser Alice Salomon. "It is a step back to the 19th century. 
This is money hungry penny pinching at its lowest.

"Managers are spending more time on monitoring toilet breaks than it 
actually takes to use the bathroom. How many CEOs have to account for the 
cost to the company of emptying their bladder?"

The workers are outraged. "It is humiliating and degrading", said one RSL 
COM call centre worker. "People are being called into the manager's office 
every day and questioned on how much time we spend in the toilet.

"We just want to be treated with respect and dignity."

The union points out that there are serious health consequences from not 
going to the toilet when nature calls, including urinary tract infections, 
incontinence, constipation and bowel distension.

"We are seeing yet another example of the excessive monitoring and bullying 
behaviour that is happening in call centres throughout Australia", said Ms 
Salomon. "They are becoming our modern sweatshops.

"It is an attack on the workers' dignity and indicative of what the bosses 
think they can get away with in Workplace Relations Minister Tony Abbott's 
anti-worker, anti-union industrial relations climate.

"Going to the loo is a right, not a privilege."