Guards negotiate for a living wage

A number of associations representing security guards and their employers are meeting today at the labour ministry to continue wage negotiations focusing on a union proposal of a 100% increase in the minimum wage.
But members of the Security Association of Namibia (SAN), which represents about 60 employers, say the demand for N$14 per hour, up from N$7, is unrealistic and irresponsible and could lead to job losses as employers seek to protect their businesses.
“SAN has to look at the economy of the country and the interest of our clients as they will not agree to such high increases,” a letter submitted to the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (Natau) stated in August.
The association instead suggested an entry-level minimum wage increase to N$7.10 per hour and an hourly wage of N$8.05 for security guards who have worked for a year or longer.
“The problem that we face is that clients will look at the current Consumer Price Index (CPI) and base their increases on that and decrease the number of security personnel rather than paying the new established minimum wage,” SAN chairman Levi Shigwedha wrote in the letter to Natau.
Another issue faced by members of SAN is competition from unregulated security businesses which do not pay minimum wages.
Shigwedha said the minimum wage is not policed by either the government or the unions representing security guards.
A public notice issued by the Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment creation last week asked for input from security companies and users of security services on the proposed entry-level wage. That feedback is up for discussion today.
“It has been established that the security industry employees are working long hours in harsh and unpredictable weather with poor wages that do not take them out of the poverty cycle,” the ministry’s public notice stated last week.
The ministry said in order to address these issues and to “ensure decent work and improve living standards of security officers a new minimum wage needs to be introduced that is realistic and affordable”.
The deadline for feedback was 21 September.
Paulus Hango, president of the umbrella Trade Union Congress of Namibia (Tucna), will attend today’s meeting along with Natau, the Namibia Independent Security Union (Nisa) and Namibia Security Guards and Watchmen Union (NASGWU).
Hango said the offer currently on the table from the security companies is “very little … they must improve on that.”
Shigwedha yesterday said that unregulated security companies are one of the biggest threats to the working conditions of security guards.
He said it is estimated that about 200 security companies operate in the country today, and many continue to ignore the minimum wage.
He said some security guards are paid N$500 a month, which is “fraudulent”. Instead, when paid a minimum wage of N$7 or more per hour, depending on length of employment in the industry, guards should receive between N$1 000 and N$2 000 a month.
Shigwedha admitted that there is room for improvement in the industry and said that relevant draft legislation should be sped up to empower and protect security guards and employers alike.