Security Guards' Unions Abandon Workers

Life has never been the same for the security guard ever since the formation and creation of the security industry's Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which saw the birth of ZISEGU and PSWU as the unions representing guards.

Instead of representing the guard there is so much infighting in the two Unions with PSWU having three factions with each faction having its own office and purporting to represent the guard. Zisegu is being led with an iron fist by the general secretary Mr Philemon Nhema who wield a lot of power to the extent of deciding who should get paid and who should not get paid.

Despite the fact that guards are having their salaries deducted every month, Zisegu is struggling to pay its workers with only those in Harare being the ones getting their full salaries and that is only if you are the general secretary's ally. A trade union practicing unfair labour practices!

As we speak there is no code of conduct for the security industry, leaving the guard at the mercy of the employer.

The CBA expired in 2012 and as we speak the Unions have nothing legal that they can use to fight for the guard.

Speaking of PSWU they don't have a certificate(a former member of the executive went  to South Africa with the certificate a long time ago and has refused to avail it) and their constitution is yet to be approved(which means they don't have a constitution) , yet they say they are fighting for the guard when their standing is questionable. ZISEGU has all that is required, the problem is the general secretary who is still there in breach of the constitution and have failed to hold a congress and is paying his cronies to support him. The congress was supposed to have been held in October 2016 and since then the general secretary has given one excuse after another to justify his failure to hold a congress. ZISEGU is also not holding their AGMs and the general secretary appoints his auditors and has failed to avail a bank statement to the executive.

There are also some cases were the union (ZISEGU)  won cases on behalf of the guard and went on to lie to the guard that their case has been appealed and the general secretary went on to use  proceeds that the guard would have won.

There is absolutely zero representation of the guard by these unions and we call upon the relevant ministry to come to the help of the guard because some unrepentant employers are now trampling on the guard's rights knowing fully well that our unions are compromised.

There are reports that some companies are now paying salaries of $150 which is less than the $214 basic salary for grade one A. Other guards are working more than four days and others have gone for months without receiving their full salaries whilst others have gone unpaid for many months. Ironically this practice is rife in companies owned by black Zimbabweans , some of them known for splashing cash and womanising whilst their employees are unpaid. All this is happening under the noses of PSWU and ZISEGU who are all concentrating on collecting money from the guard whilst ensuring that they become indispensable by by surrounding theirselves with their blue eyed boys whilst doing nothing for the guard. And to make matters worse ZISEGU is failing to pay its workers who are in branches outside Harare.

We plead with the responsible minister to look into the two unions' operations to save the guard from further abuse. The only benefit we got from these Unions since 2011 is a 50c allowance for shoe polish and nothing more whilst those in leadership in the unions have gone from rags to riches with the guards' contributions which they are abusing.

There is also the issue of unaccounted for donor funds amounting to $66250 which were given to ZISEGU to help guards, only the general secretary knows what that donation was used for but no guard benefited and ZISEGU's income and expenditure is not supported by relevant bank statement.

This is a cry of help by a security guard, ZISEGU and PSWU have completely failed us.