The Disassociation Game: UPM sacked by G4S?

(originally published on SYMAAG's website) 

United Property Management (UPM) will no longer be sub-contracted by G4S to provide asylum housing in Yorkshire and Humberside. On June 18th the phrase “G4S has selected United Property Management (UPM) as its primary housing partner” disappeared from the G4S COMPASS website. Simultaneously, UPM’s website stopped referring to G4S as “partners”.

UPM has provided sub-standard housing to asylum seekers in our region for years, while UKBA sub-contracted to them, despite frequent complaints from asylum seeking tenants and asylum rights campaigners. Their recent evictions of tenants in Bradford were the focus of a campaign led by Why Refugee Women and SYMAAG. In one case, a woman and her 3 month old baby were moved 40 miles, from Bradford to Doncaster, to a bare flat with no cooker, chairs and only a tiny sink next to the toilet for all their washing needs.

In what could be a remarkable coincidence UKBA announced on the same day (in a letter entitled Corporate Partners – Transition Announcement Letter (2) that “the Transition phase of the COMPASS project has now begun in the North East Yorkshire and the Humber region”. That is, UKBA no longer have to sub-contract to a company who are regarded as unacceptable, even by the standards of G4S!

The next few weeks will see G4S in a frantic search for other sub-contractors paid for by £135 million of public money in Yorkshire and Humberside. We will be subjecting them to the same scrutiny as we put UPM under. No doubt there are also issues of legality relating to the COMPASS contract which was signed with UPM as the named primary sub-contractor (not their replacement organisations).

Whichever sub-contractors G4S select we maintain our view that G4S are prison guards not landlords. Their record is one of abuse towards asylum seekers in this country and elsewhere. We should not be paying them public money to operate this contract.

G4S News Update// June 11th-17th 2012

G4S renews commitment to White House “joining forces” campaign Times Union, June 12^th 2012: G4S plans to hire 6,000 returning military veterans and their family members by the end of 2013. So far, G4S has hired 3,000 veterans across the US since the 2011 start of the "joining forces" campaign.

G4S to cut staff delivering Lincolnshire Police services, BBC, June 14th 2012: Staff who transferred from Lincolnshire Police to security firm G4S in a cost-saving deal have been put at risk of redundancy. G4S said that of the 580 civilian staff which transferred, approximately 60 posts are at risk.

UK government to answer for hiring human rights abuser (Disclaimer: this is a Russian propaganda website), Russia Today, June 10th 2012: The British government is up for questioning from Parliament over why it has handed over the Olympic Games' security to a company accused of human rights abuses in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories.

Half of all tagged offenders break curfew rules, The Guardian, June 14th 2012: More than 50% of offenders ordered to wear electronic tags, many of which are provided by G4S, break the rules of their court-imposed curfews, a review of the use of tagging has found.

UK’s latest super-prison completed, Building Design, June 12th 2012: The £150 million complex in South Staffordshire, run by G4S, contains 17 buildings including a healthcare unit, a first night unit, a visits building, sports centre, training centre and a kitchen.

EDM on G4S

Jeremy Corbyn has introduced a new Early Day Motion (Number 182) asking the Government to review its procurement procedures to stop G4S from being awarded new contracts. Ask your local MP to support Jeremy's motion!

Jeremy Corbyn MP:  EDM Number 182: G4S
That this House notes the controversy surrounding the private security company G4S which is providing security for the London 2012 Olympic Games; further notes the concerns of a broad based campaign of non-governmental organisations, MEPs, MPs and activists who speak out against it; further notes the recent loss of contracts including one to deport people from the UK in 2011 and another to secure the buildings of the European Parliament and G4S's involvement in providing equipment to Israeli prisons in which Palestinian prisoners (both adult and children) are illegally transferred, detained and mistreated; and calls on the Government to review its procurement procedures to ensure that no government contracts are ever awarded to companies with a questionable human rights track record.

Footage from last week's protest at G4S' AGM

Here's some great footage - thanks to Palestine Place - of last week's demonstration at G4S' Annual General Meeting.

If you're in London, or nearby, over the next week, try to make it down to Palestine Place for some excellent talks, workshops and discussions. For a full schedule of events and further information, have a look at their website here. 

G4S News Update 4th June - 10th June

Cost cutting concerns about further prison privatisation, Public Finance, June 6th 2012: Commentators fear an erosion of professionalism in prison management as further prisons become privatised. 

Housing for asylum seekers: a multi-million pound privatised nightmare, Liberal Conspiracy, June 6th 2012: Further coverage of the evictions in Bradford and the beginning of 'Transition' in Yorkshire. 

Government asked: Why are you allowing 'tainted' G4S to handle Olympic Security, The Independent, June 8th 2012: On the day after protests outside G4S' AGM, the Independent covers the reasons why G4S are considered 'tainted' by campaigners. (Also covered at Al-Arabiya and Haaretz with a focus on G4S' involvement in West Bank security.) 

G4s face down investors and protesters at annual meeting, The Guardian, June 8th 2012: A multitude of campaigners and organisations gathered together to protest outside G4S' AGM on Thursday 7th June. Supplying visiting investors with an Alternative Report of G4S' terrible human rights abuses, the demonstration received relatively good press coverage. (More at Open Democracy) 

Don't listen to what G4S say. Look at what they do. Open Democracy, June 9th 2012: Well respected writer and commentator Laurie Penny takes a look at G4S' shaky track record before they embark on a huge security operation at the London Olympics.  

Further concerns over police privatisation in the UK, Police One, June 9th 2012: American (i think) website muses over the impact of police privatisation in the UK. (More concern highlighted about Hertfordshire Police privatisation at the Herts Advertiser 24) 

G4S to host policing Twitter debate, Info4Security, 10th June 2012: G4S are to host a debate on the role of the private sector in supporting police forces on the 12th June at 2pm. Join the debate by following @G4S_UK (necessary evils right?) and using the hashtag #policingdebate. 

Prisoner wins $40000 from G4S Custodial Services for poor safety provisions in Australian jail, The Herald Sun, 11th June 2012: Prisoner sues G4S for failing to "provide a safe sleeping environment" at a G4S run prison in Australia. Unfortunately, there's a paywall...

OTHER UPDATES//NEWS

- Palestine Place - This new social centre in Central London is a forum for radical debate and action in support of Palestine. They were key in planning the demonstration outside G4S' AGM last week. See all G4S related posts here.  

- Now, have a look at this lovely bit of G4S advertising in Kings Cross, London, (if only things were always this clear…). 

G4S AGM confronted with campaigners' Alternative Report

Today, over 70 people demonstrated outside of G4S Annual General Meeting, protesting against the company's disastrous human rights record across the globe. As G4S' becomes further involved with new UK government contracts, the extent of their national and global reach is beginning to be revealed.

The protest today saw campaigners deliver their Alternative Report to shareholders entering the meeting, a document that masqueraded as a real G4S report but actually critiqued the actions of the multi-national corporation.

Shiar Youssef, of Corporate Watch, made the following statement:

 “G4S has manoeuvred itself into a pole position to profit from the coalition government's plans to destroy public services through slashing workers' pay and sacrificing the quality of services, as well as by hiring establishment figures like former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Paul Condon as board members. Poorer services, less accountability, more profits.” 

G4S' various contracts extend from providing security services to the Israeli government in occupied Palestinian territories to managing asylum seekers' social housing in Yorkshire and Humberside. Despite the tragic incident of Jimmy Mubenga, an Angolan asylum seeker who died as a result of excessive force used by a G4S guard on a forcible deportation flight, the UK government has continued to award the company new contracts in the recent surge of privatisation in public services. Not only are G4S providing security for the Olympics this summer, they are now contracted to run critical parts of the Lincolnshire Police Force.

See this Demotix news article for further coverage of today's protest.

Further coverage of the first wave of evictions...

As the first wave of evictions hit Yorkshire, our campaign is experiencing increased news coverage - which can only be a good thing!

See Lorna's article at Liberal Conspiracy for starters...

There should be more coming soon!