The private security sector in the Canary Islands is once again sounding the alarm. General de Seguridad Integral Europea SL (GSIE Seguridad) has filed for bankruptcy protection with the Commercial Court No. 2 of Las Palmas, a decision that comes after months of financial hardship and a string of defaults that have crippled its workforce in both Canary Island provinces. With a turnover of around €3 million annually, the collapse of GSIE represents not only a business failure but also a social crisis for its 120 employees.
The Federation of Private Security Workers of the USO Canarias (FTSP-USO), which already described the firm as a "pirate company" in 2025, denounces that delays in payroll and the non-payment of extra payments had become a structural practice, systematically violating the collective agreement.
The situation has escalated from complaints to the Labor Inspectorate to direct judicial intervention. The court has already appointed a bankruptcy administrator to take over management, audit the accounts, and determine whether there is any possibility of viability or if final liquidation will be necessary. For the unions, this case is symptomatic of a deeper problem in the sector.
They denounce that the public administration continues to award essential contracts based solely on the lowest price, which opens the door to companies that, like GSIE, end up becoming insolvent after accumulating bank overdrafts and cash flow problems that are ultimately paid for by the employees.
Entering bankruptcy proceedings opens a period of legal uncertainty where workers become privileged creditors, but the collection of their back wages will now depend on the liquidity the administrator manages to recover or, ultimately, on the Wage Guarantee Fund (FOGASA), a process that usually takes months. The unions have formally requested that the Canary Islands authorities tighten contracting criteria and exercise real oversight of the winning bidders, preventing "savings" in the bidding process from turning into a social tragedy.
