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Workers in 12 countries will go to more than 20 offices of Goldman Sachs today to point out that Goldman has the opportunity to advance the cause of working women through its private equity ownership of the facilities management giant, ISS.



ISS employs more than 300,000 women in over 50 countries– mostly in the part-time and low wage cleaning industry. Goldman recently ran ads profiling its new “10,000 women” program through which it provides for education and other advancement for women in developing countries. UNI’s leaflet points out that a global agreement with UNI means progress for more than 300,000 women.



ISS has a global agreement with UNI which expires in May, 2008. Discussions for a new agreement have been under way since last spring, but ISS has not yet made a concrete proposal. The company is in the process of developing a response to UNI and we are hopeful that talks will proceed next month.



This leaflet action will send a message that UNI Property Services unions around the globe are concerned about the status of these negotiations and are prepared to take action if necessary to insure that ISS employees are treated fairly in their efforts to raise standards.



UNI Property Service’s goal is to achieve an agreement which makes it clear that workers should have a clear path towards achieving a collective voice on the job. The organising process should take place in a friendly environment without intimidation or fear. Unions should have access to workers, and be able to achieve recognition using the easiest process allowed under national law. The aim is to achieve an agreement with ISS in which both parties take responsibility for their common interest in raising standards across the markets in which ISS operates.