When Baganda Dinah, 28, was hired by Securitas in her home country, Uganda, to be a security guard for the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, she had no idea what to expect.

Three years later, she is still a security guard at NYUAD but now working under a new contractor, G4S.

“We were asked if we wanted to stay with Securitas or continue with NYUAD and shift to G4S,” said Dinah, recalling the notice the security guards were given a year ago.

In August 2016, they were given a notice about the shift to another company, and in December 2016, they were informed that the new contractor would be G4S.

The Saadiyat Island campus needs approximately 200 security guards. Dinah and some of her colleagues left campus during the last week of January Term to have their visas renewed over a 12 day period, as UAE labor laws require companies to sponsor the visas of their employees. On Feb. 2, temporary security guards from G4S arrived on campus to replace the old guards who are still on leave while their visa applications are processed by G4S.

When the NYUAD campus was based in Sama Tower and the old Downtown Campus, the university had a contract with G4S, and it was during the transfer to the Saadiyat campus in 2014 that the university shifted its security contract to Securitas.

“With our security contract expiring, we issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) to help us determine if our previous provider – Securitas – remained our top choice. Our decision to move to another supplier was based on the outcome of the RFP process, which evaluates potential partners on many operational and technical factors, such as their ability to perform the role, and their commitment to uphold our labor standards,” wrote Michael Scollan, Senior Director of Public Safety.

“During the selection process NYUAD found that G4S was the best positioned to meet our needs,” added Scollan.

The transfer of the old security guards to the new campus took almost six months, but the department is now confident that the old security guards will be back on campus in three to four weeks.

Robert Titus, Associate Director of NYUAD Public Safety, described the location and office structure of G4S in Abu Dhabi as one of the key factors in selecting the company.

“One advantage with G4S is that it is an Abu Dhabi-based company and they are familiar with the procedures here whereas Securitas is a Dubai-based company and only have a small base in Abu Dhabi,” said Titus.

####Supplier Code of Conduct

The shift to G4S comes at a very important time for the university’s Office of Public Safety as the NYUAD Supplier Code of Conduct has had new amendments added, with the work week extended from five to six days. All of this is now included in the new contracts with G4S.

Additionally, the document outlines that the contractors have to provide their employees with End-Of-Service payments. All guards who served with Securitas for more than a year are entitled to compensation. Currently, all of them are still living in their previous accommodations in Khalifa Street.

####Student dissatisfaction

Students were notified of the transition to G4S through a student portal post on Jan. 22. The post noted that the campus would be staffed with temporary guards during the transition phase and asked students for their patience and understanding during the next several weeks.

Immediately, students voiced concerns on social media platforms about the global image of G4S and the repercussions it bears.

Student Government President Rend Beiruti and Hind AlTantawi, Class of 2017, initiated the discussion. They also started a petition to call for increased student participation in the decision-making process of the university. Currently, 86 students have signed the petition.

G4S, a global company operating across five continents, has caused controversy by providing services to Israeli checkpoints in occupied Palestine and running child detention centers that have been accused of child abuse.

The Student Interest Group Students for Justice in Palestine has been having conversations with interested students regarding G4S, its role in the Israel-Palestine conflict and the impact its presence on campus will have on Palestinian students.

“This is very concerning for students who have to affiliate ourselves with the campus and have to see the security presence everyday, and it’s very concerning that the university, without consulting the students who are directly impacted by this, decided to go ahead and sign on with a security force that has a substantial history of supporting Israeli prisons, checkpoints and administration that work to suppress Palestinian human rights,” said Melissa Levinson, President of SJP.

Levinson added that SJP will be releasing a statement soon asking the administration to withdraw from the contract with G4S. She also noted that while G4S has dissolved their contract with the Israeli government, they still profited from the deal.