Labour Minister Denounces ‘Illegal’ Union Leadership

30 June 2011

Maputo — Mozambican Labour Minister Helena Taipo on Wednesday claimed that the leadership of the National Union of Private Security Workers (SINTESP) is illegal because none of these leaders actually work in any security company.

Speaking at the opening of a clinic for employees of the London-based security company, Group Four Securicor (G4S), Taipo claimed that the union’s leaders “are not workers and live by promoting conflict and agitation in G4S as the source for their survival”

She said that G4S workers had come to the Labour Ministry saying they were dissatisfied with the union and wanted to leave it. The Association of Mozambican Private Security Companies had also presented “serious complaints of illegalities and interference by SINTESP”

“So who does SINTESP serve?”, Taipo asked. “What interests does SINTESP defend? Everything except the workers!”

She said that, through denunciations made by real security guards, her Ministry had learnt that the SINTESP Provincial Secretary in Zambezia is not a security employee, but a teacher.

“This situation is illegal and unjust”, said Taipo, “because the SINTESP General Secretariat, instead of trying to negotiate with the Association of Private Security Companies nationally is always creating confusion and agitation in G4S”.

She demanded that SINTESP “withdraw immediately from G4S”and let the trade union committees negotiate whatever they deemed fit with the company.

“The SINTESP general secretariat should learn that the legislators did not conceive of strikes as an instrument of blackmail, but as the highest point of the workers’ legitimate demands”, Taipo added. “Strikes are only called when there is no further space for dialogue and when there are no other means of solving disputes. And in all cases, strikes must follow the norms established in the Labour Law”.

Taipo suggested that the security workers should hold an urgent General Meeting of their union “to choose their true and genuine representatives”.

Interviewed on Wednesday night by the independent television channel, STV, SINTESP spokesperson Boaventura Sibinde expressed surprise at Taipo’s onslaught, since in the past she has firmly defended security workers against the abuses committed by the G4S management.

As for claims that the SINTESP leaders are not security guards, Sibinde pointed out that currently they have suspended their work contracts with security companies in order to take up full time work for the union – a practice which is normal, not only in the Mozambican labour movement, but in trade unions throughout the world.

He could name the security companies for which all members of the SINTESP secretariat had worked, and he warned the government against interfering in the union.

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