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IRELAND
November 2000
Industrial Relations News (IRN41)
Ireland's attractiveness for Call Centres takes a tumble
The article is an assessment of the status of Ireland as a location for Call Centres, it also looks at employment and salary trends within the industry. Ireland has dropped in attractiveness for the siting of Call Centres and Dublin has dropped to thirtieth place out of fifty European cities.
Staff retention is being cited as the biggest reason for the decline in Ireland's attractiveness. This trend is reflected across Europe with 70% of Call Centre employers experiencing staff recruitment and retention difficulties.
Starting salaries in the Irish Call Centre sector begins at IR£8,500 for Reservations entrants with English only to £13,000, in the case of multilingual people, working in technical support or telemarketing. Starting salaries in Customer Services range from IR£10,000 to IR£12,000.
[print only]
TOP
August 2000
Kevin O'Toole
Published in 'Airline Business'
IT Trends Survey 2000
The article deals with the move among major airlines from telesales and across-the-counter ticket sales to sales over the internet. The article notes that a total of 87% of carriers have begun the move to internet sales. The main carriers have identifed the move to internet bookings as a key competitive package. The article raises interesting questions regarding the future of telesales in the aviation industry as internet booking develops.
[print only]
TOP
August 2000
Peter Conway
Published in 'Airline Business'
Will check-in get smart?
This article looks at the development of ‘smart card’ technology in the area of seamless aviation travel. The future vision of a passenger booking a ticket by downloading travel details into his/her home PC, eliminating the function of telesales, is less futuristic than it seems. Swissair currently operate such a system known as e>track from their hub in zurich. The cost of operating such technology is currently the limiting fator in its development.
[print only]
TOP
April 1999
ITF News:
Call Centres on the Move
Transfer of 600 jobs from British Airways operation in New York to Bombay, India. This transfer has been criticised by the Machinists Union (IAM) as British Airways is one of the biggest employers in Queens. The move is seen in the context of a cost cutting exercise by British Airway.
The Company operating and handling British Airway's Call Centre in Bombay is known as World Network Services (WNS) which is a wholly-owned subsidiary. Not only are WNS being used by British Airways to under-cost the New York Call Centre, but it is also undermining unionised employment in Bombay
TOP
28 October, 1999
Aoife O'Reilly, Industrial Relations News 40:
Call Centre, What Sort of Workplace?
The article opens with a description regarding the rise in the number of call centres established in the UK and Ireland. It is estimated that the Pan-European Call Centre business, based in the UK and Ireland is worth over £3 billion. In the UK there are 7000 call centers employing over 200,000 employees (1998); in ireland the number of employees is expected to rise to 10,000 by 2001.
In Ireland the economy is experiencing labour shortages in certain regions and this is impacting on call centres. With the result that Dublin fell from a top ten position to 29th place. Belfast is now seen as the most efficient location in Ireland.
The article predicts that by 2004, 19% of all UK call centres will be web enabled with consumers spending $10 billion dollars on line, 2.5% of total retail sales.
The article concludes with an overview of working conditions in the industry, highlighting Forward Emphasis as an exemplary employer.
TOP
Marlborough International Services
Establishes pay rates for teleservices employees
TOP
July - November 1999
Sunday Business Post
Table which shows salary rates for the telebusiness sector (November 1997) covering Operations manager, Territory Manager and Managing Director. Establishes 1997 Salary Rates
TOP
3 February 2000
Leslie Faughan, Irish Independent newspaper
Centre for Call Centres
The article lists the Call Centres and Teleservices Bureaux operating in Ireland.
The article also gives details of current basic salaries and bonuses for various grades of employees, such as Service/Help Desk, Technical Support, Bilingual (unskilled), and Bilingusal (skilled).
TOP
23 March 2000
Aoife O’Reilly
Industrial Relations News
Teleworking - The Solution to Gridlock
The article includes a useful definition as to what constitutes teleworking. “Teleworking is a way of working using information and communication technologies in which work is carried out independent of location”. Enterprise Ireland will initiate a Business Teleworking Development Strategy to promote the use of teleworking in the Irish economy. The article also highlights some of the negative aspets of teleworking.
TOP
8 May 2000
Social Partners in Republic of Ireland
Partnership for Prosperity and Fairness
Clause 21, Framework IV of Programme for Prosperity and Fairness makes provision for the development of the Irish economy as a “telework friendly” location, this includes endorsement by the Social Partners of the Teleworking National Advisory Councils’ Code of Practice commitment that Government will introduce teleworking into mainstream public service employment
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