LAST UPDATE | 24 Jul 2024

WORKERS AT OUTSOURCING services provider Abtran have announced that they are to ballot for industrial action. The workers, represented by the Independent Workers’ Union (IWU), recently launched a pay claim against the company.

The pay claim called for a company-wide pay increase to €15 per hour for all staff, as well as the return of 15 minute “wellness breaks” and for “the company to stop their policy of bringing workers into disciplinaries when they take their statuatory sick pay”.

Workers are currently paid the minimum wage of €12.70. Wellness breaks were removed in January 2023.

The IWU has said that ballots are currently being sent to union members in Abtran’s Cork and Sligo sites, and as a result is expected by 6 August.

Jamie Murphy, General Secretary of the IWU, delivered the initial pay claim to Abtran via email on 13 May. The same day, a senior HR manager at the company responded internally – CCing Murphy into the reply – saying “Please do not reply in any manner to this email of any other correspondences from the sender”.

It is unclear if Murphy was included in the reply erroneously.

He then delivered the pay claim in person to Abtran’s Cork office.

Currently, the union represents about 10% of Abtran staff. However, Murphy says that due to their structure, this is still significant.

“Abtran are essentially min-maxing their staffing levels. They’ll have the minimum amount of staff on to maximise profits and productivity,” he said.

A spokesperson for Abtran told The Journal, “The IWU is an external organisation with which we are not engaged and which has no role in the collegiate and co-perative relationship that we have with our employees.

“Abtran is a responsible and caring employer with an overall commitment to investing in people, and with a positive and supportive environment for everyone throughout our organisation. It is our policy at all times to engage directly and collaboratively with all of our colleagues and we have a clearly defined programme in place which underpins this engagement.”

Abtran’s contracts – a number of which come from the state – work on a service level agreement. This means that Abtran promises their client to provide a minimum level of service over a given period. For example, maintaining an average hold time of five minutes.

“Because of the nature of their agreements, a small number of workers engaged in a work stoppage can wield a lot of power,” says Murphy.

‘Stressful and restrictive’

One Abtran employee who works from home, described the conditions he was working under as “restrictive and controlling”.

“There’s very little respect given to employees by management. The environment, even when working from home, is very restrictive, which causes a lot of stress.

“For instance, there’s little to no help given with difficult calls, and when it is given, it seems be done very reluctantly,” he said.

“There doesn’t seem to be any consideration given to the levels of stress staff are under.”

Another employee, who also works from home, said much the same.

“I struggled a lot with social anxiety and depression, but this didn’t seem to be acknowledged or considered by the company. You were just expected to keep going like nothing was wrong” she said.

“There was a heavy rotation of team leaders, on average every six to eight months, and the quality of leader could very greatly. The lack of any sort of consistency or structure was incredibly stressful.”

Abtran’s contracts

Abtran employs around 1,600 staff between their Cork and Sligo officer, as well as those working remotely.

They currently operate contracts for a number of state agencies. This includes Electric Ireland, a contract worth approximately €30 millon, the National Drivers’ License service, and EFlow.

They were also granted the contract for Irish Water, before it was given to British firm Capita in 2020. Abtran issued a High Court challenge against Irish Water over what they called an “unlawfully low” contract. The case was settled the same year.

Another contract, taken with the City of Dublin Education and Training Board (CDETB) for Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI), initially budgeted for €1.8million, ran to aa final cost of €5.9 million.

They also have contracts with Irish Life Health, the Teaching Council of Ireland, the HSE, Pobal, and the Office of the Revenue Commissioners.

‘Cautiously optimistic’

Alex Homits, one of the organisers working with Abtran staff, said that he is “cautiously optimistic” about the ballot.

“We’ve developed a strong core of union activists across those working in Cork, Sligo, and from home, and the balloting is a positive step. We’ve done lots of prep work, and there’s been a lot of cultural development as well among the staff.

“We’ve been careful to make everyone understand that this isn’t just about the pay claim, it’s about developing those interpersonal skills, the solidarity that makes them a stronger unit,” he said.