The security industry is preparing for next week’s strike by guards, a company said on Thursday.
Chubb Security South Africa, one of the country’s larger security companies, said it has a plan in place to ameliorate the impact of the upcoming industrial action.
The strike is expected to start on Thursday and last an indefinite period.
”This strike will significantly affect the ability of the whole security industry to continue to provide the levels of service that our customers have become accustomed to,” said Chubb Security Southern Africa group MD Stephen Mundy.
”Both our armed response and guarding businesses will be affected as a result of the strike action,” he said. ”We have developed a plan, which will be continually reviewed, to ensure that we absolutely minimise any disruption in service levels to our clients.
”We will strategically deploy all available resources as well as enact the other contingency plans we have put together.”
The strike is the result of a breakdown in wage negotiations between various employer bodies and unions on a national level. These have been going on for a number of months.
When no agreement could be reached, unions declared a dispute with employers, which in turn led to a protected labour action.
”As a key member of the employer associations we have always been, and continue to be, willing to negotiate with the unions to reach an agreement without the need for industrial action,” said Mundy.
”However, the union demands for increases of between 17% and 20% with a current inflation rate of only 4,5% is unrealistic,” he said.
He conceded that the likely effect of the strike is unknown, but said Chubb will do all in its power to maximise its service levels to all its customers during the labour action.
The South African Transport and Allied Workers’ Union (Satawu) said on Wednesday that the strike — expected to affect companies such as Chubb, Securicor, Coin Security and ADT — is the result of the industry’s unwillingness to pay decent wages and provide sound employment conditions.
Survey
The Institute for Security Studies’ (ISS) Anthony Altbeker said a recent survey found there were 283 700 registered guards in South Africa, working for 4 200 registered businesses.
Turnover for the industry is about R14-billion a year, with turnover per guard about R49 000. Guards routinely work 12-hour shifts, six days a week, followed by two days off.
A mid-grade security guard (there are five grades) earns R101 a shift, or R606 a six-day week. Paid monthly, this amounts to R2 424 for a 24-day working month. Most employees work only a 21-day month. In contrast, a police constable earns R4 200 a month or R55 000 a year.
Satawu has 79 325 members in the freight and passenger transport, and cleaning and security industries.
It is not known what percentage of security guards is unionised.
A 1999 study by the ISS showed that competition between private security companies was fierce. Many small, fly-by-night companies provided cheap but sub-standard service, tarnishing the image and reputation of the industry as a whole, the monograph, Policing for Profit, said.
Through mergers and takeovers, many of the larger private security companies have since consolidated their position, leading to the danger that a few large companies could end up dominating and even monopolising the South African private security market.
Many of the larger South African private security companies have expanded their operations into other countries in Africa. — Sapa