This week, the International Labour Organization (ILO) decided to suspend the private security company Prosegur, from its SCORE programme in Colombia. The suspension by the ILO follows a number of complaints about human and labour rights abuses by Prosegur in Colombia and Peru. The concerns raised by local union Sintravalores and UNI were shown to be legitimate when last week a Prosegur union leader in Neiva, Colombia was punched in his mouth by the Head of Security inside the company’s premises.

Philip Jennings was re-elected as General Secretary of UNI Global Union on the final day of the UNI World Congress in Cape Town.

Jennings, the founding General Secretary of UNI, will preside over a fourth term at the helm of the 20 million-strong global union.

“I promise to bring all that I have to the task. My energy, industry, commitment, creativity and desire,” he said in his acceptance speech.

“I am proud to be your General Secretary. I never forget the mandate that you have given me.”

Former COSATU General Secretary Jay Naidoo thanked UNI trade unions for their role in the anti-apartheid struggle.

“What is critical to understand is that we needed your solidarity at the most desperate time in our history, where apartheid had stolen our dignity and we were robbed of our identity,” said Naidoo on the final day of the UNI World Congress in Cape Town.