Security industry lacks order - unionist

Security guards earn little, are not paid on time, receive no overtime, night shift or Sunday allowances, or benefits, while deductions are made for uniforms, transport costs and minor mistakes.

This is according to the National Security Guards Protection Union's (NSGPU) founder and acting secretary-general, Mekupi Kandorozu.

He said another major concern is that many of Namibia's security guards are given weapons without any training.

Kandorozu said security companies are "everywhere, like mushrooms that pop up and there is no control over them."

He added: "The guards suffer in silence."

Negotiations ongoing

Last week, the Namibia Security Labour Forum (NSLF) distanced itself from any security organisation that is not registered or recognised by the labour ministry.

In a joint statement, employer organisations the Security Association of Namibia, and trade unions, the Namibian Transport and Allied Workers Union, the Namibian Independent Security Union and the Namibian Security and Night Watch Union, said their discussion on the framework for a minimum wage increase for the industry continues.

The issue was first outlined between objectives in a December 2023 memorandum of understanding. The forum also warned employees not to participate in illegal strikes and to trust the tripartite process.

The NSGPU has been registered since 10 September 2013, but Kandorozu is still negotiating to join the forum.

Vulnerable without protection

Kandorozu, a retired teacher who has been trying to expand his union since 2010, said: "Over the past years, there have been improvements and agreements with security companies. Other companies simply refuse to listen and some intimidate employees not to join."

According to labour law, Section 65, 2 a,b, and c, it is required that employers do not unreasonably prevent employees from speaking with union representatives, Kandorozu added.

He said there are between ten and thirty thousand security guards employed throughout the country.

NSGPU now boasts less than 700 members, with new members pending.

"The major problem, however, is that existing regulations are not being enforced," he said. The N$10 per hour minimum wage implemented in 2014 is being ignored. "In any case, nobody pays that, or only a handful," he says. "What's the point of signing something into the government gazette if it's not enforced?" he asked.

Meanwhile, the security service providers' draft legislation has not been finalised. The last discussions were held in July last year, when inputs from stakeholders were collected, according to Kandorozu. Without it, there is no security regulatory framework, which leaves the entire industry vulnerable, warned Kandorozu.