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The literature on call centre work suggests two distinct images: electronic sweatshops and customer focus (Deery & Kinnie 2002). However, this research is concerned almost exclusively with private sector organisations. In the public sector, call centres are widespread. Under the rubric of New Public Management (NPM), contestability and client focus require call centres and other public services, to compare or at least benchmark against the private sector. The limited literature on public sector call centres highlights distinctive features such as the character of service delivery and the organisational context, yet, at the same time, illustrates the pervasiveness of private sector operational and managerial practices. This paper examines call centres in two large Australian government agencies by exploring their characteristics and tensions, the organisation of work and the management of the employment relationship. The findings suggest cultural tensions between traditional public sector work organisation and the mantra of competitiveness under NPM. Eve Anderson, Amanda Pyman & Julian Teicher Monash University, VIC.