The reinstatement of those laid off by Teleperformance is a matter of mass struggle

The trial of individual cases involving employees who were dismissed by Teleperformance last year began on September 26.

It is worth noting that the management has dismissed four of the nine members of the board of the SETEP union in Athens, the entire Chania branch and the majority of the Thessaloniki branch, as well as dozens of union members in all cities.

(From a past demonstration against the layoffs)

For years, Teleperformance has been using fixed-term contracts (monthly or short-term) through payroll companies. It has therefore found a loophole in the law, which requires that for fixed-term contracts exceeding three consecutive years, it must sign an indefinite contract with employees.

This is precisely where the employers' narrative comes in, brazenly declaring that employees are not their responsibility but a matter of the payroll companies. Furthermore, in response to the accusation of anti-union stance, they stated from the outset that the reduction in staff is due to the so-called downsizing of the projects on which the employees work as a result of the reduction in scope and has nothing to do with the union activity of those who were laid off.

This was also stated by the company's representative before the Athens First Degree court, who, as a member of Teleperformance's management, testified without oath.

It is clear that the layoffs of union members at Teleperformance, which is known for its anti-labor practices, are not at all random. The long struggle of TP employees, with mass strikes and mobilizations led by the company's Tunisian workers, aimed at signing a collective labour agreement with wage increases, the abolition of the despicable "special purpose" visa and full and stable employment for all company employees. This struggle, as well as the very establishment and massification of the company union, created a serious problem for the employers who advertise Teleperformance as the "best place to work". For this reason, it very quickly resorted to tactics of terrorizing workers, suppressing their fighting spirit, making threats, and even firing dozens of union members.

It is worthy of criticism that for months there has been no mobilization for the issue of layoffs, while it has been left entirely in the hands of the supposedly independent justice system. We know very well that the laws and the justice system do not favor workers; on the contrary, they always and everywhere serve the employers. Any legal victories that have been achieved are the result of pressure exerted by the mobilization of workers and their solidarity. That is why it was imperative on September 26 to hold a solidarity rally outside the Athens First Degree court with the participation of TP workers, the entire sector, and supporters to demand the immediate reinstatement of all those who were laid off! Although SETEP had announced a four-hour work stoppage and called for a rally, it made sure not to announce the exact location of the rally and not to publicize it sufficiently, thus leaving those employees who wanted to support the mobilization with no way to do so.

As Taxiki Poreia, we will continue to take action at every opportunity, demanding the reinstatement of all those who have been laid off, the signing of a collective agreement with real wage increases, and the abolition of the "special purpose" visa. We believe that the only way to oppose the employers' offensive and demand jobs with rights is through the mass mobilization of workers and the opening up of the struggle of TP workers, and not through the illusions spread by those who say "we will let the courts solve our problem".