Unions Demand That Treasury Take Action Against Non-Compliant Companies
Various unions marched to the National Treasury on Friday to demand that action be taken against non-compliant companies in the security industry.
The unions that joined the march include NUMSA, SATAWU, DETAWU, AWU, SANSAWF, and the Progressive Unions.
They matched from Marabastad to the office of National Treasury to deliver a memorandum of demand and grievance.
“We want the Treasury to take action against all security companies that are doing business with the government but fail to comply with the collective agreement of the Bargaining Council because when some workers pass away their families struggle to get benefits from their deaths as these security companies have not made the necessary arrangements in this regard while they (the workers) were still alive and employed by them,” lamented NUMSA Security Sector Coordinator Frederick Mabasa.
Mabasa said in some instances there are companies who don’t deduct money for the purposes of the Provident Fund while in other cases some security companies do deduct money for the Provident Fund but do not pay it over to the said Provident Fund and this amounts to fraud.
DETAWU General Secretary Vusi Ntshangase said for the past two years they have been campaigning for compliance by security companies.
“We want each and every company that does business with the government to be an accredited one with a certificate of compliance recognised by SIRA and the Bargaining Council with a letter of good standing,” said Ntshangase.
“The security industry plays a pivotal role in protecting the assets of the state and we have realised that the majority of the security companies contracted to the government do not pay workers the salaries that are due to them and that they also don’t comply in terms of offering their workers Provident Fund and medical aid,” he said.
“Over the years our demands have fallen on deaf ears, hence we have taken the decision to march and appeal directly to the National Treasury for intervention in this regard,” enthused Ntshangase.
“Working conditions for security workers are terrible and it is sad that these terrible conditions are perpetrated by security companies which have tenders with the government,” he said.
Copy of Memorandum: