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The goal: achieve decent conditions for the workers of the sector.



With approximately 200,000 employees from 565 surveillance and CIT companies, the security industry is one of the most important job generators in Colombia. 90% of the registered workers in 373 armed security companies, 186 unarmed security companies, and 6 CIT companies, are guards or CIT drivers.



The surveillance and private security sector has shown progressive and sustained growth in recent years. For example, in 1994 there were 763 surveillance and private security services in the country, while in 2011 this number rose to 4,338, a substantial increase mainly due to more consultancy, advising and research firms, as well as the inclusion of technology.



Another aspect that takes account of the sector’s growth is income. While in 2007 the sector had an operating income of $ 3.1 billion, in 2011 it was $ 4.9 billion, an indicator of the industry’s growth rate that maintains an annual increase of 14% (Super-surveillance 2011). In terms of percentage share of GDP it has gone from 0.73% to 0.82%.



However, the sustained growth of the sector in operating income, profit, and employment generation has not gone hand in hand with dignified and decent working conditions. Proof of this is the number of fines, administrative disputes with the Ministry of Labor, and frequent irregularities. A recent research conducted by UNI Americas, the National Trade Union School (ENS in Spanish), and with the National Coordination of the sector’s unions, revealed a number of situations, such as working long hours, arduous working conditions, serious health and safety problems, difficulties for carrying out Ministry of Labor inspections, violation of human and union rights, in particular the right to organize unions and collective bargaining.



The Procurator General of the Nation and the Ministry of Labor present at the Forum recognized the urgent need for joint efforts to develop mechanisms for dialogue to transform labor relations in the private security sector. William Guzman Garcia, representing private security unions said "It is shameful to see the profit figures of this sector while workers suffer from poor working conditions and with salaries that are not enough to feed their families," he reflected in his speech.



"UNI Americas proposes the signing of an Agreement for Decent Work in this sector," said Adriana Rosenzvaig, Regional Secretary. "The figures of unionization in Colombia are alarmingly low, but in this sector they are even worse. We need to reverse this situation, because only with strong unions will we have decent working conditions."



Alice Dale, Head of Uni Property Services, stressed that it was very encouraging to see so many companies in this forum. "Prosegur is not here, showing once again its complete lack of commitment to social dialogue," she said. Prosegur has an extensive record of union and labor rights violations in Colombia.