IUF general secretary Ron Oswald commented, “Through our approaches to the company we have sought to prevail on Compass to review and change its attitude to workers seeking to form a union in Algeria. We have continued to do so even as we have now progressed our formal complaint under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises through the UK OECD National Contact Point.” Oswald added, “Despite our efforts the company remains intransigent and as a result we are left with no choice but to use all the formal processes available to us. We will also explore with our affiliates in the catering sector and beyond ways to mount considerably more pressure publicly on Compass to do the right thing. We will do so in defence of a group of workers in Algeria who have asked for nothing more than their internationally guaranteed rights to form and join a trade union of their choice.”

The CAFÉ web site will provide updates on this situation as it moves forward and will also analyse generally Compass’s behaviour in relation to workers’ rights around the world.