Labour rights of IMF guards violated

The private firm that supplies the guards to the IMF headquarters has been found in violation of workers' rights by the US National Labor Relations Board. Wakenhut, a subsidiary of London-based security conglomerate Group 4 Securicor, was found guilty of intimidating and interrogating two guards who led the drive to form a union. Unionisation was supported by the majority of the workers even though Wakenhut was found to have lied to employees and threatened them with job losses. The IMF has since changed its security services provider, though not on account of the complaint, and the new company has accepted unionisation. The complaint that brought about this ruling also alleges similar behaviour by Wakenhut's parent company in Mozambique, Malawi, Uganda and Congo.

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Published: 31 January 2007 , last edited: 7 June 2007

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