News

UNI Property Services in the Americas is expanding its campaign “We are human beings … we are workers … we have rights”.

The campaign was launched last September in Paraguay, Chile and Panama. It is a concerted effort between UNI Americas and several trade union organisations in the private security industry to increase union membership and strength. This week a meeting is being held in Panama City, including union representatives from Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay.



Millions of people work in the Latin American private security industry, generally under terrible working conditions. Working hours normally exceed 12 hours and sometimes reach 16 to 24 continuous hours. As for many guards around the world, overtime is not paid at premium rates and wages barely reach legal minima in many cases. To add insult to injury, security workers often have no social security protection. Health and safety at work is jeopardised by provision of inadequate equipment, long hours, denial of rest breaks and exposure to the rigors of the weather.



UNI’s campaign seeks to make workers and their concerns “visible" to employers. Some key demands of the campaign include:

• Recognition of the right to organise
  
• Payment of minimum wages
  
• Appropriate compensation for overtime, night work and working on holidays