On September 5th, Security Guard Day is celebrated in Portugal. Paulo Brito, the author of the text, took the occasion to publicly thank his work team, the administrators and moderators of a group dedicated to Private Security, and the approximately 40,000 security guards who, in his view, honor this profession.
The author acknowledges the work of dedicated professionals who give up days off, work overtime, and are always available to ensure services are provided. However, he directs criticism at those who consider being a security guard an easy job and who simply limit themselves to wearing a uniform. He also condemns supervisors and managers who are unfamiliar with the Collective Labor Agreement and the Labor Code, inventing arbitrary rules.
Paulo Brito's fiercest criticism is directed at union entities, which he accuses of promoting inequalities and wars among security guards of different specialties. He denounces that it is shameful for them to negotiate salary increases for static surveillance below the National Minimum Wage and questions the integrity of unions that accept agreements with business associations in exchange for paid vacations and dinners.
The author concludes by warning that, as long as there is division among colleagues from competing companies, the profession will not advance. According to him, the 40,000 security guards would have enough strength to bring the country to a standstill, including sectors such as GALP's reception services and Tax Authority services. Brito suggests that a new structure capable of uniting all security guards could pose a threat to the current system, which is sustained precisely by the division among the professionals themselves.
