More than 46,000 Scots are now employed in call centres

Industry bodies have consistently denied such allegations and say they are constantly trying to improve conditions.

But more traditional jobs likes clerks and telephonists are being wiped out by the boom in call centres - and Scotland is sharing in that boom.

More than 46,000 Scots now work in call centres as more companies use them to deal with customers.

Finance and telecommunications firms have the biggest share of the market - but travel and leisure companies and the public sector are increasingly using call centres too.

Ringing the changes

Forecasts show that by 2008, the market in Scotland could grow by half as much again.

Last year Telecom Services Centres (TSC), announced it was investing �3.3m in a call centre in Larbert, near Falkirk, with the creation of 700 jobs.

However, in May mobile phone company One2One announced it was delaying plans to create 1,000 jobs at a call centre in Dundee.

The company said that a need to recruit staff to cater for the next generation of mobile phone customers has forced it to rethink its plans.

It is believed the �12m centre at Dundee Technology Park will now open early next year.