THE GAMBIA: STRIKE BY EMBASSY GUARD FORCE

UNCLAS BANJUL 000061 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC AMGT CMGT GA SUBJECT: THE GAMBIA: STRIKE BY EMBASSY GUARD FORCE REF: BANJUL(AMB. STAFFORD)-DS/IP/AF-DS/DSS TELCON OF FEB. 2 OVERVIEW OF STRIKE AND EMBASSY RESPONSE -------------- ¶1. (U) Per reftelcon, today, February 2, the Embassy's local guard force (Wackenhut) staged a peaceful strike,as most guards failed to assume their posts for the day shift (0700-1500 hrs local) at Embassy facilities -- chancery, warehouse, Peace Corps Office, medical office, and EMR. To compensate for the guards' absence and in response to our request, local police reinforced their presence, and FSN employees in our security office manned the chancery compound's entry point. Members of our SD contingent also manned guard positions. Ambassador convened the Emergency Action Committee (EAC),and members agreed that with the personnel filling in for the striking guards, the Embassy's security posture was adequate to permit normal operations until the Friday quitting time of 1200 hrs local. Ambassador and RSO also briefed the general Embassy community -- Amcit and FSN employees -- on the guards' strike, stressing post management's commitment to ensure adequate security for the mission. CAUSE OF THE STRIKE -------------- ¶2. (SBU) We believe that the strike was the culmination of guards' festering discontent over pay issues, in particular Wackenhut management's failure to provide premium pay for recent holidays and decision to deduct the value of fuel recently stolen from Embassy warehouse facility from the pay of the entire guard force, not just the few implicated in the theft. Our judgment is that the modestly-paid guards' grievances are well-founded and may be attributed to Wackenhut management's evident objective of maximizing profit by shortchanging their guard force. The decision to impose "collective punishment" on the guards by deducting from the pay of all -- not just the culprits -- the cost of the stolen fuel strikes us as particularly egregious. LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN WACKENHUT GENERAL MANAGER -------------- -- ¶3. (SBU) As advised in reftelcon, the strike's occurrence and what we see as Wackenhut management's failure to deal with its root causes has caused the Embassy to lose confidence in the local Wackenhut General Manager, UK national Paul Zmitrowicz. (NOTE: In Feb. 1 discussion with Ambassador, DCM, and RSO, Zed had given assurances that he would take steps -- e.g., restoring the deducted pay for the stolen fuel) -- and that there would be no strike. While we gather that a least most of the deducted pay was indeed immediately restored, this apparently failed to assuage guards' sense of grievance. The guards expanded their demands to include the missing holiday pay. END NOTE) Consistent with DS guidance to RSO in Feb.1 telcon, Embassy will submit a written request to Wackenhut headquarters for his immediate replacement. (NOTE: This is not the first instance of poor performance by Zmitrowicz; in our letter to Wackenhut headquarters, we will note previous instances of his failure to comply with commitments under the relevant contract. END NOTE) NEXT STEPS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Wackenhut General Manager Zmitrowicz has told us that he will promptly replace the striking guards and ensure that there is a full complement of guards at mission facilities later today (NOTE: Embassy is now closed for the weekend) Given Zmitrowicz's track record, we are taking his assurances with at least a grain of salt and have asked local police to maintain their expanded presence, for the time being. We will keep Department informed regarding the strike and Embassy's security posture. STAFFORD