::TERMINATED PANAMANIAN G4S WORKERS SPEAK::

In the following interviews, four guards discuss work, family, and their struggle for justice:

Arístides Miranda González,
48 years old 

Baudelio 
Vásquez,
48 years old  

Julia Elena
Ibarra Dutary,
45 years old 

Jaime A.
Jiménez Cruz,
41 years old  

How long had you been working for Group 4 Securicor? How long have you worked in the private security sector (with any company)?

22 years (I have only worked for this company) 

I have worked only here for 18 years and 7 months  

7 years and 9 months of a total of eight years

9 years with this company and 11 with the police before that

Where did you work? That is, what were you guarding?

I most recently worked at Bilboa and Viscaya Argentaria Bank for over eight years

For many years I worked at the residence of the owners of Worldwide Insurance and Banvivienda Banks

Several sites, starting with airline security at Tocumen Airport
      
   

Bank of Paris and others, most recently at Channel 2    
     

  

What did you enjoy about your work as a security guard? What made the workday enjoyable?

Being punctual, serious and the respect awarded to my duties; What was enjoyable was never having any problems with anybody

That I never had any problem with the owners of the house or anybody else

Safeguarding the lives of those laboring in the different sites I worked as well as the customer

The exercising of order, respect, courtesy, always with a smile despite any adversity

Do you have a family? How many kids and how old?

I have a wife and three kids, two girls of nine and thirteen and a boy of seventeen

Two boys of nine and twelve

        
        

Three grown children and a young daughter of fifteen
      

Yes, my wife and two kids of nine and twelve
          
    

What has been the impact of your termination on your family and children?

I have had to ask for help from both my family and my wife’s.

My family has been left to survive on the aid of other family members.

It was rather depressing and stressful because of a total financial reduction.

It has caused a lot of instability as the head of the family that I am. It has also been psychologically damaging. My son asked me if he hadn’t received a present this year because he had misbehaved.

Have you or your family suffered any illnesses or accidents that could not be medically attended to because of your circumstances (of having been terminated)?

Thank God we haven’t.



          

Thank God that we have not required medical attention until this point.

I need medical attention and have not been able to get it due to my current situation.

Thank God, no.
         
  


       

What has been the impact on your family finances? How have you managed to feed your family and pay for housing?

Payments to the bank, the power company and the water bill as well as any financial influx have been greatly reduced to the point that all have had to be very measured in any use or expenditure.

I owe for rent, power and water bills, as well as other debts.



         
  
               
                

Complete unbalance and I have had to quickly find another job in security where they don’t even pay social security.

I am barely working miracles. Interest rates at the bank, furniture shop, and others are increasing.


               

What are you expecting from the protests and vigil?

That they pay us all the benefits that I am by law entitled to on account of this unjust termination and to be able to contribute with this protest and vigil to others so that their rights may be respected in the future.

I hope I will be paid compensation and lost wages and that people’s rights will be respected.






            

I admire and respect the courage of all my fellow workers and hope that this intelligent form of pressure will be a positive solution.

That we be respected and to make known the abuses perpetrated in this country and that us working folks have rights that should be respected.

       

What would you like other employees of G4S to know? Why is it important for union members worldwide to get involved in this struggle?

That this struggle is for the benefit of all fellow workers at G4S and that they may respect our rights

Because it is for everyone’s benefit 





           
                     
 

To show pride and dignity because there is power in numbers 




        

That we have had enough abuses and they should fight for their rights so that together we might end the wild corruption of businessmen like these

If you could speak face to face with the CEO of G4S (that is, Malek’s boss’ boss’ boss), what would you like to tell him?

That for 22 long years I worked with great effort and energy, but when I asserted my rights as an employee of the company I was unjustifiably fired. I would like to receive all my compensation and also tell them that Mr. Enrique Malek has been the worst manager that this company has had.

I would tell him that I sacrificed eighteen and a half years diligently and responsibly working for the company so that they could then fire me and refuse to pay us monies we are entitled to by law such as severance compensation and lost wages for unjust termination.

When you die, you take nothing. When we started working for the company they gave us examples of how to work and be better people by helping and serving the law and yet they violate the law. And please don’t be so unfair.

That Enrique Malek is the person least fit to manage this company which was very prestigious until the arrival of this gentleman with his little group of dubious experience to destroy the company.