Disgruntled security guards to ‘shut down Tshwane’ tomorrow.
With each of the past marches, guard leaders have threatened a shutdown of the metro should their demands not be met but according to their latest social media communication, it appears now this threat will be carried out.
After receiving no response to their memorandum of last month, a disgruntled group of security guards are to stay away from work on Wednesday March 13.
In late February, hundreds of aggrieved metro security guards took to Tshwane House to hand over a memorandum of demands regarding insourcing to the mayor that resulted in a tense standoff with MMC of community safety Grandi Theunissen, who received the memorandum on behalf of the metro.
The move was nothing new as the guards have held several marches in the past regarding the 2018 metro resolution to insource 4 000 guards in phases. The guards claim only 1 302 were absorbed before the move was scrapped.
The guards claim to be working for private companies that give them hassles on payday with some paid late while others aren’t paid at all.
They also complain about unworkable conditions.
With each of the past marches, guard leaders have threatened a shutdown of the metro should their demands not be met but according to their latest social media communication, it appears now this threat will be carried out.
“To all officers, you are hereby notified that there will be a total shutdown starting on Wednesday. No one is going to report on duty from Region 1 – 7. It’s a total shutdown, no day or night shifts,” the post read.
The leader said the metro has failed to respond to their memorandum while it plans to reduce staff by 66% from April 7.
The metro plans replace security staff with metro police (TMPD) officers in a move that would see over 3 000 guards lose their job. The metro has failed to pay security providers after it depleted its R240-million security budget.
In early February, members of the SA cleaners security alliance workers (SACSAW) marched to Tshwane House over the same grievances.
“They are just playing political games, we marched and we expected feedback. Normally when we march, within seven days or whatever period we give them, they usually come back to us so now, it’s been almost three weeks. We gave them 14 days and that has passed, that is why we are angry,” said alliance chairman Joshua Modau.
Modau appealed to political parties to assist the security guards and called out the EFF and ActionSA for not acting on promises made during previous engagements. Modau said a lot of employment contracts would lapse on February 28, 2025, so insourcing needed to be complete by then.
“This thing of insourcing, it’s simple when we’re just talking but during the actual implementation, there are a lot of processes and protocols to be followed, this is the year to make sure that happens. Our issue is very simple, they must remove the middleman and deal with us directly. Even if they don’t pay us much, even if we just get that R7 000 or R7 500, we have been surviving on that kind of money, but at least we know that we are directly employed by the municipality. There won’t be late payments, and there’ll be accountability if something happens to me while I’m on duty at least the municipality will take accountability ,unlike now,” he said.
Modau said private companies do not assist their guards who are injured or killed on duty. He also doesn’t buy the excuse of the metro not having money, saying if it can pay the companies directly, it can pay the guards directly.
He said he could foresee guards taking “more extreme measures” should the metro cut them loose, saying the metro will suffer ultimately.
“Then the workers will be very angry and things can get bad, because what do they have to lose? You’ve taken their jobs and of course they won’t be happy about that,” he said.
The security guards’ demands are:
– The metro must hire the private security that protect its property
– The metro must audit its security suppliers for compliance with the Basic Conditions of Employment Act of 1997
– End to late payment
– A meeting with the mayor, deputy mayor or city manager.
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