G4S

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G4S plc

Type	Public (LSE: GFS, OMX: G4S)
Founded	1901
Headquarters	Crawley, Sussex, England
Key people	Nick Buckles (CEO) Alf Duch-Pedersen (Chairman)
Industry	Security
Revenue	£4,490 million (2007)
Operating income	£271 million (2007)
Net income	£161 million (2007)
Employees	circa 440,000 ^[1]
Website	g4s.com

G4S plc (formerly Group 4 Securicor, LSE: GFS, OMX: G4S) is the world's largest security services provider. Formed by the merger of Securicor and Group 4 Falck in July 2004, it employs over 500,000 people across more than 100 nations and six continents. Its services include manned security, operation of criminal justice systems, electronic security systems, and financial services including cash transfer. Its headquarters are in Crawley, Sussex, England.

G4S also owns the Wackenhut Corporation, a leading provider of security services in North America.

It is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

1 History
2 Critical Observations
3 Aquisition of Rock Steady
4 In popular culture
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The company has its origins in a guarding business founded Copenhagen in 1901 by Marius Hogrefe known as Kjøbenhavn Frederiksberg Nattevagt.

Securicor, along with co-founder British Telecom, was also involved with the creation of mobile phone operator Cellnet beginning in 1985. Securicor sold its share in the company to British Telecom in 1999, resulting in BT Cellnet, which was later spun off as O₂.

During the time, when Group 4 was contracted by the British government to provide security for prisons in 1993, the company shortly became a laughing stock by the media after a series of security blunders, including escaped prisoners.^[2]

In 2003 Group 4 Falck signed a Detention Services Contract with the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (Australia).^[3] Under this contract Group 4 Falck took over direct control of Australia's refugee detention centres from Australasian Correctional Management, owned by its subsidiary Wackenhut, which had run them since 1998.

[edit] Critical Observations

Group 4 Securicor is the subject of a global campaign by union workers alleging that subsidiaries undermine labour and human rights standards. Some of these groups are organised under the banner of the SEIU funded Focus on Group 4 Securicor.^[4] This group backed protests at Group 4 Securicor's annual general meeting in London in 2005^[5] and 2006. The 2006 US State Department Report on Human Rights in Indonesia released in March 2006 featured the on-going dispute in Jakarta with Group4/Securicor.^[6] In July 2006 the Indonesian Securicor workers had a substantial win - but the campaigners continue to support other Group 4 Securicor workers.^[7]

The company has long disputed these claims and points to its strong relationships with unions around the world, including the GMB in Britain^[8], with which it hosted a joint parliamentary reception the night before the 2006 annual general meeting.

[edit] Aquisition of Rock Steady

In March 2008, it was announced that G4S were taking over Scottish Rock Steady Group - who carry out stewarding at major sporting and music events mostly in the UK. Rock Steady events have included Live8 concerts in London, Scottish FA Cup Final & the V Festival