1 February 2023
The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA), Kungwini Amalgamated Workers Union (KAWU), Abanqobi Workers Union (AWU), South African Transport and Allied Workers Union(SATAWU) and trade unions in the private security sector condemn the fraudulent deductions of millions of Rands from the salaries of poorly paid security officers.
Scores of security companies do not care about workers or their families. Security officers are facing an onslaught from all sides. On the one hand the state has adopted austerity measures that attacks workers through high fuel and food prices as well as high interest rates; whilst on the other hand non-compliant security companies collude with unscrupulous healthcare service providers to deny workers their well-deserved healthcare benefits despite deducting millions from their salaries as part of the collective agreement of the National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPSS), (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Council’).
Guided by our revolutionary consciousness and the Marxist slogan “Workers of the world unite”, the leadership of SATAWU, KAWU, AWU, NUMSA are clear that workers united can never be defeated, as they have nothing to lose except their chains! Fourteen unions in the private security sector have signed the Main Collective Agreement, including: SAIWU, PTAWU, SANSOFF, and DETAWU.
We acknowledge that the Council for Medical Schemes is currently investigating cases where security companies deduct monies from workers for medical insurance but fail to pay it over to Affinity Health, which is the designated service provider. The medical insurance benefit, together with other benefits and allowances, is part of the Main Collective Agreement (MCA) ofThe Council.
In South Africa, there are approximately 700 000 security officers, but only 250 000 are registered for health insurance and provident funds. This forces many workers to utilise public health facilities even though they pay towards medical benefits from their salaries every month. Sadly, the deductions do not reach Affinity Health, the designated service provider, and instead end up in the pockets of non-compliant companies. Likewise, some of these monies are channelled to unscrupulous service providers for inferior benefits.
UNSCRUPULOUS COMPANIES
Universal Health and Dischem, through its subsidiary Kaelo, actively encourage non-compliance by offering inferior products to replace the appointed service provider. This is against the spirit of the collective bargaining, as they participated fully in the tender processes, and so are aware of its implications. It is interesting to note that Dischem’s in-house security officers are registered with Affinity Health, but they deny other workers the same benefits through Kaelo.
Imvula Quality Protection has been marketing the provision of healthcare benefits to its employees who are our members, on the basis that said employees/members are employees of the Imvula Quality Protection. This conduct on the part of Imvula is unlawful and in violation of the Collective Agreement.
NON-COMPLIANT COMPANIES
In terms of the MCA all employers in the Private Security Sector are required to register and comply with the Council. Compliance with the Council includes, inter alia, registration with the provident fund for the private security sector, registration in terms of the MCA for health insurance and compliance with the MCA in terms of payment of levies. In circumstances where this is not adhered to, the Company will be considered non-compliant and enforcement proceeding will ensue. Our preliminary investigations had revealed that about 80% of companies are not complying with the MCA.
These are some of the worst offenders who specialises in deducting money from workers’ salaries but not paying it to the healthcare service provider and/or for what the money was meant for such as the levies of the Bargaining Council or into the provident fund.
- Imvula Protection Services
- Mafoko Security
- Tshedza Protective Services
- Ithuba Security
- Easy Security
- A Force Security
- Eagle Eye Security
- Reshebile Security
- EBS
- TR Security
- Merlin
- Ubuntu
- Sinqobile Security
- Venes Security
- Mabotwane
- Mjayeli
- Vision Tactical
- Tyeks
ACTION PLAN
Pay Back the Money: First and foremost, these unscrupulous companies must pay back all the money deducted from their workers with immediate effect. Organized Labour will continue to investigate, expose and take to task the security companies that continue to support these criminals. More than R75 million has been fraudulently deducted from the salaries of private security officers, in the last 10 months. That is R7.5 million per month. This money has not been transferred to the appointed service provider to benefit workers. More millions are deducted as provident fund leaving workers stranded when they discover money was channelled into the pockets of greedy company bosses instead of the provident fund.
Arrest Directors: We appeal to the law enforcement agencies such as the Hawks to investigate and arrest the Directors of these unscrupulous and non-compliant companies. The FCSA, PSIRA and CMS must investigate more thoroughly the criminal activities of the unscrupulous companies and bring them to book. As workers we are resolute in our demands, and we are going to open criminal cases against all the offenders.
Terminate Contracts: We call on government to give notice to terminate and replace the security companies that do not comply with the collective agreements, immediately. Furthermore, these non-compliant companies must be published on the Government Gazette and the NBCPSS website to warn workers of their modus operandi.
We call on National Treasury to work with the Bargaining Council to ensure compliance controls from organs of state that award businesses to security companies, are in place. To this end, we demand that the Minister of Finance outline steps to make it a legal requirement for all government entities and/or departments that are currently and will in future procure security services to be compliant with the Council. National Treasury should make compliance a compulsory requirement for all the prospective bidders.
Enforce Compliance: We demand that the inspectors at the Bargaining Council meticulously investigate these issues and then enforce compliance.
Industrial Action: We demand that non-compliant companies duly register with the designated service provider to ensure that workers receive their healthcare benefits, as per the collective agreement. We also demand that these companies pay the provident fund and levies of the Council accordingly.
Failure to meet our demands within seven days will leave us with no choice but to engage on a rolling mass action aimed at consolidating – and decisively demonstrating – the anger of workers against the systematic fraudulent deductions on their hard earned salaries. We are going to expose both non-compliant and unscrupulous service providers. The programme will begin in Gauteng, on the 14th of February 2023.
Below are the details of the program of action:
| PROVINCE | DATE | TARGET |
| Gauteng | 14 February 2023 | Mafoko Security
iMvula Protection Services |
| Northern Cape
KwaZulu-Natal |
March | AET
Izikhova |
| Western Cape
Mpumalanga |
April | Dischem
tbc |
| Eastern Cape
Free State |
May | tbc |
| Limpopo
North West |
June | TNG
HWET |
For more information, contact the following sector leaders.
- Khumbulani Moyo, KAWU, 082 344 8349
- Frederick Mabasa, Numsa, 081 011 1148
- Philemon Bhembe, SATAWU, 072 154 3010
- ZIthulise Mqadi, Abanqobi Workers Union, 073 564 6143
For more information, please contact:
Phakamile Hlubi-Majola
NUMSA National Spokesperson
0833767725
NUMSA Head Office number: 0116891700
NUMSA Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/NumsaSocial
NUMSA Twitter account: @Numsa_Media
NUMSA Website: https://numsa.org.za/
PDF DOWNLOAD:
JOINT PRESS STATEMENT OF THE UNIONS IN THE PRIVATE SECURITY SECTOR