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In what could have been another bitter dispute, strikers actions resulted in a contract settlement and a successful to work. Throughout South America, security guards employed by Prosegur have experienced severe anti-union repression for simply exercising their lawful right to strike. This was the case in Paraguay, where over 300 workers were either dismissed or forced to accept resignation in lieu of dismissal in 2012. In Colombia, efforts to hold onto job security provisions resulted in severe retaliation and under-cutting of the union contract through a "pacto colectivo" (an agreement entered into by a company directly with workers). These agreements are designed to under-cut and weaken unions. Other cases of union repression have been documented in S. America by Prosegur. In Chile and Brazil union leaders have reported retaliation against union leaders for fighting to improve wages, hours and working conditions through lawful strikes.
UNI strongly demands that companies honor the right of workers to organise unions and to collectively bargain without retaliation--rights which are guaranteed in the ILO Core Convention No. 87, Freedom of Association and No. 98, Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining. These rights are also guaranteed in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in most country labor laws.
Security guards have difficult jobs. Many work 12-hour days with low pay, few benefits, dismal health and safety considerations and they risk their lives, every day on the job. As the tragic story of Nairobi showed the world, security guards are the first responders to many situations where the public needs to rely on private security guards for their safety. These workers deserve to be treated fairly and to have job conditions that compensate for the risks they face daily.