The International Labour Organisation said on Wednesday the employees of Indian BPOs are well within their rights to unionise themselves while the national level unions can reach out to them.

"All employees, whether in formal or informal sector, need to have their voice and a bargaining partner," ILO Executive Director Kari Tapiola told PTI when asked whether the growing number of BPO employees should organise themselves into trade unions. 

While the national level unions could reach out and encourage the BPO workforce to organise themselves, the decision to align with a particular union should be left to the employees themselves, he said.

"It is legitimate for them (national unions) to reach out to the employees who will have to accept you and no administrative decision should be forced from outside," Tapiola said.

His remarks are important in the backdrop of the raging controversy particularly in West Bengal whether the white collar IT and ITES workers should be roped into the trade unions.

While some of the Left parties want extension of trade unions to this sector, the employers and many of the state governments have not supported this idea.

According to the ILO principles, workers should not be penalised for forming associations, Tapiola said.

"Employers should in fact, encourage and not stop them from organising themselves," he said. During his week long visit to New Delhi, the ILO executive director met Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes and senior government officials.

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