Enlace is supporting its affiliate SINTTIM, an independent union in Baja California, in its campaign assisting workers of SERPAPROSA as they demand justice.  Servicio Pan Americano de Proteccion, S.A. of C.V. (SERPAPROSA) is a major company in the sector of private security with 96 branches that provide service in 1,600 cities Mexico.  This company is an affiliate of the multinational security corporation Brink’s.

Background:
Two workers of company SERPAPROSA—Eduardo Ruiz Castro (worker since Oct. 28, 1996) and Jose Pablo Hernandez Orozco (worker since Aug. 22, 1994)—told us their story.  They are both affiliated with the National Union of Workers of the Federal Transfer of Value, Guards, Security, Messaging, and Services (Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de Traslado Federal de Valores, Custodia, Seguridad, Mensajeria y Servicios).

The company imposed its own chosen employee representatives and union contrary to the interests of the workers.  So the workers decided to select their own leadership. In October of 2000 Ruiz and Hernandez were nominated by their co-workers to be the union representatives.

After a very long process, the workers were finally able to vote and elected Ruiz and Hernandez as the union representatives.  The workers sent documentation of this election with all their signatures to the union’s central office in Mexico City so that the union would recognize the change in leadership.  After several months of waiting, Sub-Secretary General Mario Campos notified the workers that the vote and the decision of the workers would not be accepted and that the previously assigned leaders would continue as the union representatives.

After this incident the workers’ situation continued to get worse, and 7 worker leaders were fired.  The administrative files indicate that all of the fired workers are honest and effectively fulfilled their job duties for the company.  The company states on its webpage: “we count on crews composed of perfectly trained and investigated workers who are a guarantee of confidence for our clients.”

Then how can the company explain the dismissal of these 7 workers after years of service?  What is behind all of this looks like corruption.  All these workers sued the company for unjust firing and for not paying them what the law requires.  After two years of struggle, what has resulted is that the files of some of these unjustly fired workers have disappeared. 

Solidarity Request:
The workers demand that SERDEPROSA and Brink’s re-hire or provide compensation as required by the labor laws of Mexico.  Please support the workers’ campaign—click here to join Enlace’s listserve to receive updates and action alerts.