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Today, 26 September 2012, a delegation from UNI Global Union composed of Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of UNI Europa, Alice Dale, Head of Sector UNI Property Services, Laila Castaldo and Marvin Largaespada, UNI Property Services staff for Europe and the Americas, respectively, met with members of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists & Democrats in the European Parliament to denounce the anti-union conduct of Prosegur Paraguay, in which 327 private security guards were fired en masse for striking. Following viewing of video containing testimonials from the fired workers, the S&D MEPs unanimously condemned the medieval working conditions those workers had to face.



"Prosegur’s practices are just one example of how working conditions are deteriorating in many parts of the world, including in Europe" emphasized the S&D Coordinator of the EP Employment Committee, MEP Alejandro Cercas.





Alice Dale discussed the need for Prosegur to sign a global agreement with UNI as a means to prevent this kind of abuse by local management. For several years, UNI has discussed the importance of such an agreement to ensure workplace justice, but the company has always refused because of the strong opposition by its South America managers. Dale called on MEPs to ensure visibility to these issues and asked for support in getting the security guards back to work. "Prosegur should be held accountable for their poor labor and human rights practices. Being one of the largest private security companies in the world, it should be leading improvements in worker standards", she concluded.



Oliver Roethig said Prosegur should be “a good representative abroad of the European social model...” On the contrary, he said, “Prosegur does not abide by the standards set by EU law nor the articles of the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.”



MEPs expressed full solidarity with the fired Paraguayan Prosegur workers.



As a follow up to the fruitful meeting, S&D Members proposed:

· To table a resolution for the October plenary session to condemn Prosegur for its socially irresponsible behavior as well as to criticize the Paraguayan government for its failure in defending workers prerogatives.



· To raise the issue during the November official delegation to the ILO in Geneva and politically support the complaint that UNI would draft to ILO calling for the reinstatement of the fired workers.