Pretoria – Public hearings into the Private Security Sector are currently underway with the Department of Labour reviewing the minimum wage and working conditions of employment in the sector.
Workers in the Private Security Sector in Vereeniging today appealed to the department to enforce a new minimum wage determination immediately and not defer until September.
The Private Security Sectoral Determination is coming to an end in August, and the new year and the multi-year determination is expected to be enforced on 1 September.
Wages in the sector currently average between R3 000 to R4 000. During the public hearing workers said they wanted a minimum wage of between R5000 to R7 500.
The workers are also calling for an improved nightshift allowance and the introduction of a medical aid.
According to the workers, on average they work 12-hours a day and their wages are not commensurate with their working hours. They also argued that their wages do not qualify them for bonds.
The department is inviting all stakeholders in the Private Security Sector who are directly and indirectly affected, including employers, employer organisations, employees, and trade unions to attend national public hearings in which they will be allowed to voice their inputs.
In terms of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA), the Labour Minister should consult with stakeholders in the sector with the aim to source information in relation to the wage adjustment.
More public hearings are to be held in Gauteng this week in Orange Groove, Kempton Park and in Pretoria at the Labour Centre.
All public hearings start at 10am. The hearings will end on 6 March in Nelspruit (Mbombela), Mpumalanga and in Bethlehem, Free State respectively.
The public hearings are canvassing inputs on the rate at which wages should be pegged, the applicable timeframe and a review of working conditions. – SAnews.gov.za
