The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (NUMSA) has been admitted to the National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPS). The NBCPSS is a bargaining council which is a statutory regulatory body, established in terms of section 27 of the Labour Relations Act. NUMSA has been admitted to the Council and this means that the union will be able to represent security workers and negotiate collective agreements with employers, as well as dealing with labour disputes.
Collective agreements are legally binding to all parties at the Council and, once they have been extended by the Minister of Employment and Labour, they cover all employers and employees, whether they are party to the agreements or not. Negotiations on the minimum wage, benefits and leave provisions are conducted at the Council.
Benefits like the medical insurance, provident fund and allowances are part of the main collective agreement and all employers in the security sector must pay them. However, NUMSA has noted that certain companies are brazen in their non-compliance. The following companies are still refusing to comply:
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Mabotwane security – They owe workers R1 million in outstanding salaries and bonus pay, after the company lost a contract. Mabotwane did not comply with the MCA and failed to contribute to the provident fund and medical insurance payments of workers.
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Reshebile Aviation and Protection Services – This company is currently being liquidated. Reshebile owes workers who worked at SAA R15 million in provident fund pay outs. They have not paid a cent but they have been given new contracts, because the same management has opened a new company and is trading under a new name, despite the grand fraud they committed against security workers.
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Pristo Security – has a contract with the department of water and Sanitation in Limpopo and it pays workers their salaries late every month. They are not paying for allowances, and not contributing to the provident fund and the medical insurance.
NUMSA has considered opening criminal cases against these companies, but we have been advised by the SAPS these are compliance matters therefore the best avenue is to put pressure on regulatory bodies like Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSIRA) and the bargaining Council, to enforce compliance. This is why we welcome the decision taken by PSIRA following our engagements with them on 31 July, to work with unions in the bargaining council to force companies to comply. PSIRA has also promised to respond to the demands made by unions that any security company which is not complying, must not have its licence renewed.
In the meantime, NUMSA will continue with its publicity campaign to name and shame companies that are failing to comply. We will continue to expose these companies and we are ready to fight for what is due to workers in the security sector.
ENDS.
Issued by Irvin Jim
NUMSA general Secretary
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: NUMSA has been admitted to the National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPSS)