Security guards exposed to the worst working conditions
Despite the important roles they play, the plight of some security guards is hardly ever addressed
ALTHOUGH labour laws offer social protection to all workers, life for some security guards employed by security firms is a mockery of not just the spirit but the very provisions of the law. It is estimated that as many as three-quarters of private security personnel are exposed to the worst working conditions, their plight is hardly addressed despite the important roles they play to ensure safety at work and home.
According to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the maximum normal working time allowed is 45 hours weekly. This is nine hours per day (excluding a lunch break) if the employee works a five-day week, and eight hours per day (excluding a lunch break) if the employee works more than 5 days per week.
Just like many other security guards who are working 84 hours a week and don’t have the power to demand compensation, Gift Ndlovu (not his real name), a security guard at a food outlet in Durban, says labour laws and the national minimum wage of R3‚500 per month does not apply to him. Ndlovu works seven days a week, earns R2000 a month, works a 12 hour shift from 6pm to 6am and receives only three days off every month. His working environment is also compromised in that Ndlovu has no access to ablution facilities and no shelter for when it rains or to offer shade in Durban’s extreme heat.
Brian Jackson Operations Manager at Blue Security one of Durban’s leading security companies explained: “It is the responsibility of the client under most circumstances to ensure there are adequate toilets, shelter etc. If this cannot be provided directly by the client then portable solutions are required to be put in place (this would fall on the responsibility of the guarding company) and this would be included in the fee. In saying this; toilets, adequate shelter must always be given to a guard as there are health and safety standards that have to be met.”
The National Administrator of the Security Association of South Africa (SASA),Tony Botes, said there were many companies who did not comply with the security industry’s standards which included the employment of unregistered, undocumented workers. “The impact of non-compliance results in security guards seeking side jobs or turning a blind eye to crime or even getting involved in criminal activity themselves in order to earn a living,” he said.
It is estimated that there are about 446,000 registered security guards operating in South Africa, nearly double the country’s 270,000 police officers and soldiers. Earlier this year, the Durban Labour Court ordered Kenyon Security and Cleaning Services CC to pay a fine of R22 209.36 to the Department of Labour following complaints from several of its workers that they were not being paid in line with the sectoral determination for private security. The labour court further ordered the company to pay R88 837.44 for under-payment.
