Security giant comes under attack

Date: 27/02/03

By Karen Carstens

SECURITAS, the world's largest security company with 20% of the global market share, has come under fire from unions on both sides of the Atlantic for an alleged "double standard" in its treatment of US and EU employees.

A 26-strong delegation, including employees of the Swedish securities' services provider and trade union officials from seven EU countries have undertaken a fact-finding mission to several US cities and plan to present the results in Brussels on Monday (3 March).

"I know that the Swedish top management wants a solution to this," said Lars Lindgren, a negotiator for Sweden's transport union. "But I'm not so sure the American Securitas managers do."

Lindgren and his delegation claim the firm has consistently rebuffed efforts by America's largest security officers' union, the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) to raise industry standards in the US.

So the SEIU has joined forces with EU trade unions to expose Securitas' "double standards".

While Sweden requires 217 hours of training for officers within the first six months on the job, a survey in California found that 70% of security officers received less than one hour of training.

And while the average employee turnover rate in Sweden is below 10% annually, it can be as high as 600% in the US.

"Of course there is not a history of strong trade union movements in the US," said Lindgren, whose union represents Sweden's security workers.

Henrik Brehmer, a spokesman for Securitas, declined to comment on the status of talks with the unionists, or on whether there was a rift between EU and US executives.

"The strategy of Securitas is to develop high-quality services," he said.

Securitas, the world's largest security company, has come under fire from unions on both sides of the Atlantic for an alleged 'double standard' in its treatment of US and EU employees.