News

UNI Property Services Head of Department, Alice Dale, met with the Spanish OECD National Contact Point on 6 February 2014 to officially present UNI's complaint filed in Madrid on 26 November 2013 against Prosegur.  The Complaint discusses the serious and ongoing denial of human and trade union rights across South America by the Spanish-based private security firm.  The "Specfic Instance Communication," as these complaints are called, details and documents repeated instances in Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay and Peru where workers have been denied the right to organise a union and to bargain a collective agreement--both of which are violations of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Corporations.  

The actions cited include harassing and dismissing union leaders and activists, enmasse and individual dismissals of workers who have engaged in lawful strikes, undermining unions through the introduction of "pacto colectivos," obstructive company behavior with government officials seeking to investigate allegations of law violations and refusals to implement agency and court decisions that have ruled against the company.    

The OECD National Contact Point has the authority to investigate the allegations cited in the complaint.  It can bring the parties together to attempt to negotiate a resolution and it can issue findings based on the allegations contained in the complaint.  UNI is prepared to assist, as needed, to ensure that all information needed by the National Contact Point is make available to them and UNI is prepared to meet with Prosegur to attempt to resolve these violations of workers' rights.

Alice Dale, UNI`s Head of Property Services said:

"When a company is as retaliatory toward its workers who seek to improve their lives through unionization, as Prosegur has shown itself to be throughout S. America, and when it has resisted all efforts to engage in dialogue to resolve these disputes, then it is time to escalate activity to a more formal and more public arena."