Security Guards Threaten Industrial Action
Security guards have threatened to embark on a strike after negotiations with employers reached a deadlock.
Currently, the lowest paid security guard earns ZWL$35 000 and employers offered to pay them $65 000 for the month of July, $75 000 for August and $85 000 in September.
The Private Security Workers Union (PSWU), which represents more than 10 security companies, is demanding a minimum salary of US$254 per month.
Addressing security guards at a feedback meeting in Bulawayo on Monday, Mdladla Nduna, a PSWU negotiator said:
We are not rejecting the RTGS as a legal tender but it must be anchored on the exchange rate so that it doesn’t fluctuate in value.
The employers wanted to stagger salaries to pay $48 000 for July, $59 000 for August and $61 000 for September. That was their position which we did not accept.
The employers upped their offer to $50 600 in July, $61 000 for August and $83 000 for September and we were still not moved.
Nduna revealed that at the latest meeting, employers made the latest offer of $65 000 for July but workers flatly rejected it. He said:
We refused and said looking at the volatility of the RTGS they better pay us RTGS 100 000 for July then we sit down to discuss salaries for August and September. The employers said it’s too much,” said the negotiator.
If we divide the $100 000 by the current formal exchange rate of US$1: ZW$392 that money is US$254 and this US$254 will only settle for the month of July.
Nduna said that following the deadlock, the matter was referred to the full council of the National Employment Council (NEC), which is the highest decision-making body.
President of PSWU, Gilbert Zhou said security firms charged at least US$27 an hour and usually, premises were guarded for 12 hours.
After receiving a consensus from the security workers, PSWU Secretary General, John Tarisai Manyuchi, said he would draft a letter to the three employer boards notifying them about their intentions. He added:
We will wait for the NEC’s full council to meet first to discuss the matter, the date which will be communicated to us by the NEC secretary general.
Then we will notify them about our intentions by serving them the letter.
More: CITE
