News

According to reports from international union observers who came to ensure fairness, the election procedures were rife with interference from management, the company’s protection union -- which represents the company’s interests and not the workers-- and hired thugs.



"We are outraged by the behaviour our observers have reported," said UNI General Secretary Philip Jennings. "We have a global agreement with Telefonica that says, in part, that management will not interfere in any union election in any Telefonica location or in a subsidiary. We have been engaged in extensive discussions with the company but we are disappointed that the commitments the company made to us in negotiations to ensure a fair election failed to produce any results."



UNI is calling for a new election date to be set and that a procedure is agreed to ensure it will be held under fair conditions.



At the voting site at the Labour Board in Mexico City on Monday, Atento management and its hired "security" personnel physically blocked the entrances so workers could not enter the voting booth. At another location the management refused to release employees from work effectively denying them an opportunity to vote. These actions come after a week where management has consistently threatened termination for workers who want to exercise an internationally recognized human right to vote for union representation.



UNI is demanding an immediate intervention by parent company Telefonica's management with local Atento Mexico management to ensure no employees eligible to vote in the election are fired and that the company opens up negotiations between local management and the STRM to ensure that these workers are protected. It is also calling on the company to provide a list of the employees who are eligible to vote to the union. UNI has set a deadline of Thursday 3 November for the first negotiation session.



UNI is currently compiling all the reports of election violations, which it plans to present to the company.