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date: 23 December 2008

embargo: For immediate release

OECD guidelines help unions win better deal for the world's security guards

Nearly 600,000 security workers around the world can now look forward to better conditions at work thanks to a new International Framework Agreement signed by UNI (Union Services International), the GMB and Group 4 Securicor (G4S).

Under the OECD's guidelines on multinational enterprises, which are aimed at protecting employees around the world from unscrupulous employers, unions

complained to the UK's National Contact Point (part of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform) about anti-union behaviour and worker exploitation by G4S in several countries around the world.

Complaints against G4S covered the multinational organisation allegedly failing to pay wages, refusing to talk to unions, and in one country paying workers just half their wages for working overtime.

Dealing with complaints in Mozambique, Malawi, Nepal and the Democratic Republic of Congo, an independent mediator helped the unions and G4S to reach an agreement that the company will abide by international labour laws and national employment regulations in the 110 countries in which it operates.

Commenting on the settlement, TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: 'This new agreement is proof that we can make globalisation work for working people. The OECD guidelines are an example of how to use multinational rules to benefit people who all too often lose out from globalisation.'

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The OECD guidelines for multinational companies are a set of voluntary standards promoted by 30 OECD member states and 11 other countries, and relate to the behaviour of employers operating from or in their respective countries. Each member state has a National Contact Point (NCP) responsible for acting on complaints made in each country.

- The UK's NCP was re-organised in 2006, in response to concerns that it was under resourced and that its settlements were both drawn out and rare. As a result, staffing was increased, an advisory board was established involving representatives from the TUC, and an independent mediator was appointed.

- The NCP's final statement on the complaint against G4S is at http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file49308.doc

- Union Network International (UNI) is the global union federation for skills and services with 20 million members in 900 unions, including the GMB.

- Core labour standards are defined by the International Labour Organisation as the basic working conditions which all workers are entitled to: work free from discrimination with the right to join a union, which should be free to bargain collectively. In addition nobody should be forced to work and there should be no child labour.

Contacts:

Media enquiries:
Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
Rob Holdsworth T: 020 7467 1372 M: 07717 531150 E: rholdsworth@tuc.org.uk
Elly Brenchley T: 020 7467 1337 M: 07900 910624 E: ebrenchley@tuc.org.uk

Press release (500 words) issued 23 Dec 2008