News
International demonstration against Prosegur abuses of its Colombian employees
March 26, 2014
• More than 100 workers and trade unionists from the private security and cleaning sectors in the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Paraguay, Costa Rica and Colombia will protest today in front of Prosegur’s Colombian headquarters in Bogotá.
• The Spanish company, and is Colombian management, are accused of not respecting the rights of its Colombian employees and committing criminal offenses.
• In 2013, UNI Global Union has denounced the actions of Prosegur in Colombia to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for failing to meet its requirements for multinational companies.
The Colombian branch of Spanish private security company Prosegur, will be the subject of an international demonstration of more than 100 workers and trade unionists today at its headquarters in Bogotá.
In 2010, Prosegur was accused of paying a bonus of $4 million Colombian Pesos (US$ 2,000) to non-union workers to sign a "pacto colectivo", excluding its unionized employees. In 2014, Prosegur renewed the pacto colectivo and is accused of paying another bonus of $2 million Colombian Pesos (US$ 1,000) to non-union workers.
A pacto colectivo is a form of collective labor contract in Colombia for workers who do not belong to a union. After 2011, it became a criminal offense to offer a pacto colectivo superior to a collective agreement negotiated by a union. According to Article 200 of the Colombian Penal Code, managers of companies with pacto colectivos that are superior to union negotiated agreements could face one to two years in prison.
Currently there are two criminal complaints against Prosegur managers related to the use of Pacto Colectivos.
“It’s time for Prosegur to demonstrate some leadership in the private security sector and treat its workers with dignity. The workers and unions here today will not give up”, said Christy Hoffman Deputy General Secretary of UNI Global Union.
Adriana Rosenzvaig, Regional Secretary for UNI Americas said, “We are here today to say to Prosegur that we will continue to fight for the union and labor rights of Colombian workers. We believe in social dialogue, but if they will not listen we will continue fighting”.
The demonstration will occur today Wednesday 26 March at 16.30, in front of Prosegur's headquarters in Colombia, Avenida de las Americas, 42-25 .
For more information, Hugo Fidel Alfonso , SINTRAVALORES , +57 320 849 3867 , Benjamin Parton, UNI Global Union+ 573132108425 .
UNI Global Union is a global trade union federation for the service sector that represents more than 900 national trade unions and 20 million workers worldwide. SINTRAVALORES is the union that represents workers in Prosegur Colombia.
