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UNI Property Services is focusing on an ambitious plan to organise cleaners and security guards around the world and to sign more Global Agreements with the biggest multinationals in the sector.



At the UNI Property Services Global Meeting, union leaders passed a strategic plan to organise workers and raise standards in cleaning and security, two industries that employ some of the world’s most vulnerable workers.



At the global meeting, unions representing workers at security multinational Prosegur agreed to form a union alliance to push for improved conditions, union rights and a Global Agreement with the company.



“We want jobs with justice and better standards for cleaning and security workers,” said Head of UNI Property Services Alice Dale. “Global Agreements and Corporate Social Responsibility agreements are not enough. We have to go farther at multinationals and ensure all of their workers have union contracts. We have to organise.”



UNI has already signed Global Agreements in the Property Services sector with G4S, ISS and Securitas. With these companies, UNI is focused on enforcing the agreement and organising the companies’ workers around the world.



UNI Property Services also presented an award to Tunisian union leader Mongi Abderrahim for his tireless work during the revolution and after to build a new democracy and protect workers’ rights. Trade unions were one of the key leaders of the revolution and have been instrumental in building a new democracy in the country.



Abderrahim spoke movingly about the fight in Tunisia and the continuing struggle to win rights for cleaners and security guards. He called for support for the struggle for democracy across the region.



“We will move forward,” he said. “We won’t give anyone the opportunity to stop our revolution.”



UNI affiliates will travel to Tunisia in September to meet with local cleaners and guards to put a spotlight on their conditions.



At the meeting, the Belgian affiliates presented information about G4S activity in Israel and Palestine. UNI shares concerns about the company’s activities in the region that may be in breach of international law. UNI, UK union GMB, the UK national trade union centre the TUC will meet with G4S CEO Nick Buckles to discuss the issue further.



The Property Services affiliates also unanimously endorsed UNI Equality’s 40for40 campaign to increase gender equality in UNI and its unions and to ensure at least 40 percent representation of both genders in all UNI leadership structures. Unions unanimously passed a motion to achieve this at the UNI World Congress in Nagasaki in November.



At least 20 union leaders at the meeting signed the 40for40 declaration.



The meeting was held in Madrid, where participants had a chance to visit and support the young demonstrators in the Puerta del Sol in the centre of the city who are protesting the government’s response to the crisis and the high youth unemployment rate.