Polokwane - Hundreds of security companies operating in Limpopo may be blacklisted for underpaying their security guards and not paying out retirement funds or bonuses, say Labour Department officials.
This surfaced after a two-day Private Security seminar held in Polokwane, which ended on Tuesday.
"During our inspections, we found common areas of non-compliance such as non-payment of annual bonus, underpayment of minimum wages, non-contribution to the provident fund (even though deductions were made) and services benefits," said Labour Department provincial operations chief director, Albert Tshidavhu.
"It was suggested that companies that continue to flout labour legislation should be blacklisted in a sense that they would find it difficult to do business again, until such time that they are prepared to come to the party," he added.
Tshidavhu said in the 2010/2011financial year, 1 246 companies were inspected and only 686 were found to be compliant with labour legislation.
Regional department spokesman Johannes Mokou said levels of compliance were unacceptable and that the practices needed to be stopped.
"During the seminar, stakeholders suggested that it be a condition to have a compliance certificate before one can even be considered for tender... On their deliberations, stakeholders further suggested that the department will prepare and implement compliance profiles of security providers from court rulings.
"This will be used to substitute for inspection reports for internal security adjudication and for recommending maximum penalties in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act."
The department's deputy director general for inspection and enforcement services, Siyanda Nxawe, said the department could not win the battle alone.
"We need the intervention of organised labour because [they] are always there with the employees in our absence," Nxawe said.
The seminar was organised by the Labour Department and involved role players from the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority, South African Police Service, Private Sector Security Provident Fund and organised labour.
