Call center employees form first industry-wide union in El Salvador

Workers in El Salvador have formed the nation's first industry-wide union for call center employees. The Industry Union of Call Centre Operators in El Salvador (SITOES) convened its inaugural general assembly on October 5, with a focus on advocating for the rights and welfare of the 33,000 workers in this crucial sector.

SITOES aims to tackle labor rights violations reported by workers, including inadequate break times, difficulties with disability payments, and high performance demands leading to workload pressures. These challenges affect their ability to earn bonuses and impact mental health, contributing to stress and burnout.

The initiative has received support from UNI Americas, a regional branch of UNI Global Union representing over 20 million service sector workers globally. Marcio Monzane, Regional Secretary of UNI Americas, commented: “Considering the precarious conditions, the prevalence of violence, stress and work overload in the call centre industry, we are convinced that SITOES is an important reference point in El Salvador for respecting workers’ rights to organize.”