Critics refer to call-centers as modern-day sweat-shops. The call-center industry in the Philippines has exploded: there are 400.000 Philippino call center workers, more than in India. The 'Magna Carta for Call Center Workers' is a bill filed by Senator Miriam Santiago from the Philippines. According to a press release dated 20 November 2010, Santiago said that the business outsourcing industry tends to discourage trade unions. She cited reports from the International Labor Organization about call center agents' susceptibility to health and occupational hazards, particularly those who work the nightshift.
The bill was to guarantee all workers to self-organization, collective bargaining and negotiations, and the right to strike. It had to be refiled in 2013 and is not yet enacted.