By La Voz de los Trabajadores (Workers’ Voice), Dominican Republic. 26 July 2021.
The French transnational Teleperformance has committed one of the most unusual abuses against the working class that we have witnessed in our country. Workers have denounced through social networks that their co-worker Luis Pimentel suffered a heart attack at 9 pm on 12 July at the Larimar headquarters in Santo Domingo. As there were no health personnel on duty, it was necessary to call 911. Security agents prevented the paramedics from entering because they did not have authorisation from their supervisors. After 25 minutes of complaints from the workers, they could finally enter, but it was too late.
Between the time of death and approximately 1 am the following day, Luis Pimentel’s limp body remained at the site. During this time, managers and supervisors forced his colleagues to continue operations until the body was finally removed. It is more important to exploit workers and make profits at their expense regardless of anything else, neither their life nor their death.
This violent incident has generated justifiable consternation and outrage among those who work for Teleperformance, but many are afraid to raise their voices against the possibility of retaliation by management. Unfortunately, the case has not been covered by the press, perhaps to avoid jeopardising advertising contracts with the powerful transnational. But as is clear from the heart-wrenching testimonies of the workers, Teleperformance must be investigated for its criminal responsibility in this case.
The company is to blame for this situation by not having an Industrial Health and Safety Protocol, as required by Regulation 522-06, which SitratelRD union has been demanding for years. The company only hires medical personnel on duty until 5 pm. They must punish the company for negligence and open violation of the regulations. An investigation is also needed to corroborate whether the management of Teleperformance RD was guilty of involuntary manslaughter by preventing the paramedics from entering for almost half an hour to assist Luis Pimentel. Forcing the rest of the staff to continue working alongside their deceased colleague also shows the extreme moral degradation that the exploiters in this company have reached and is mistreatment that should be sanctioned under labour laws and regulations. SitratelRD and Fedotrazonas have a responsibility to take up this fight against impunity. Failing to do so would be collusion.
“A Great Place To Work”
This tragic event has shattered years of efforts by this transnational company to sell the image of a suitable working environment and the supposed well-being of the people it employs, whom it calls “collaborators”. Terms such as “organisational culture”, “corporate social responsibility” are commonplace in Teleperformance’s public relations. Without fear of ridicule, they claim to apply a “high-touch strategy” to increase employee happiness. The money they save by not guaranteeing safe working conditions is spent lavishly for advertising the company’s working environment. This year they paid for advertising stories promoting their “Great Place to Work” certification based on employees’ supposed to trust in management, pride in their jobs and good relations with their colleagues. One of Teleperformance’s managers said this year in one of these paid reports: “We understand everyone deserves to be respected and treated as a person, no matter where they come from or who they are”.
It is not just the usual hypocrisy of capitalists masking exploitative labour relations, but cruelty taking to a new level. Teleperformance has built a toxic culture. Permanent surveillance and forced concealment of workers’ non-conformity under the premise of compulsory cheerfulness, even though wages are low, emergency medical care is unavailable, safe working conditions are absent, and the most outrageous abuses take place.
Super-exploitation and tax exemptions
Teleperformance is an imperialist transnational founded and managed by Daniel Julien, with over 380,000 employees in 83 countries. In the year 2020, it reported 5.73 billion euros in profits. In the Dominican Republic, they have 2,793 workers working in the Larimar and Hispaniola branches.
To get an idea of the organisational culture of capitalist super-exploitation that prevails at Teleperformance, those who work there answering phones and in other jobs earn approximately 143 pesos per hour. Bilingual agents earn 173 (around 300 dollars) pesos per hour.
Teleperformance also benefits from the free zone regime. They enjoy tax exemptions including income tax; taxes on construction, loan contracts and registration and transfer of real estate; taxes on incorporating commercial companies or capital increase; municipal taxes; import or re-export taxes; ITBIS; taxes on assets or wealth; among other outrageous exemptions.
We call for solidarity with the Teleperformance workers and urge them to FIGHT against the impunity of this powerful imperialist transnational company.
