Opinion / Columnist
Election time; Is there hope for the security guard after the elections?
27 Jul 2018 at 10:37hrs | Views
In a few days time Zimbabweans will be casting their votes to select a new president and everyone is just hoping for a win for the right candidate. A win that will see a turnaround of the economy for the better.
In this hope and optimism I'm thinking about the security guard, is there hope for the thousands of men and women who secure properties and ensure a good night's sleep for the property owners, who will go to sleep knowing that their properties are well secured by these men and women?
Just being a guard invites scorn and abuse and you are often looked down upon by society and this is compounded by some indigenous companies that can't even provide a decent uniform for their guards.
With virtually no industry to talk about many young men and women straight from school have joined these security companies in direct contradiction of the 1977 control act which say this job is for pensioners, people who would be earning their pensions and supplement it with what they would be earning working as security guards. These people, it was believed didn't have many responsibilities as it was believed that as pensioners their children would have made their own way in life.
This control act has ensured that the guard is lowly paid. "Ko penjeniya mari anoida yakawanda yei"?
The last time guards got an increament was in 2012 or 2013 a 7% of $200 which brought the basic pay for the lowest paid guard to $214 and they got a housing allowance of $12 and and transport allowance of $10. These men and women have soldered on in these harsh conditions and without recognition for their good job, only to take the blame when things go wrong.
What pains the most is that we have indigenous security companies (vana "Museyamwa"-so called because their majority don't pay their workers ) who are paying well below the $214 and that is if they want to pay, otherwise the majority of them go months without paying their employees. Usually they take advantage of their political connections and they have a sense of invincibility. Ko vanoitwei, nani and thats probably why NEC for security industry is tolerating this because if these companies are not paying salaries nothing is also being remmited to NEC from the mandatory NEC deductions from employees.
So the question that bergs to be answered is, who will save the guard? On their own they are voiceless and are prone to intimidation as any form of complaint can be termed indiscipline and with the anti labour winds that have been blowing in Zimbabwean courts, kuchema chete chete.
The 1977 control act must be revisited, action must be taken againts the indigenous security companies under Zinsa who are paying below the minimum wage, some of them are going for months without paying salaries.
Other wise it will be suffer continue for the guard.
In this hope and optimism I'm thinking about the security guard, is there hope for the thousands of men and women who secure properties and ensure a good night's sleep for the property owners, who will go to sleep knowing that their properties are well secured by these men and women?
Just being a guard invites scorn and abuse and you are often looked down upon by society and this is compounded by some indigenous companies that can't even provide a decent uniform for their guards.
With virtually no industry to talk about many young men and women straight from school have joined these security companies in direct contradiction of the 1977 control act which say this job is for pensioners, people who would be earning their pensions and supplement it with what they would be earning working as security guards. These people, it was believed didn't have many responsibilities as it was believed that as pensioners their children would have made their own way in life.
This control act has ensured that the guard is lowly paid. "Ko penjeniya mari anoida yakawanda yei"?
What pains the most is that we have indigenous security companies (vana "Museyamwa"-so called because their majority don't pay their workers ) who are paying well below the $214 and that is if they want to pay, otherwise the majority of them go months without paying their employees. Usually they take advantage of their political connections and they have a sense of invincibility. Ko vanoitwei, nani and thats probably why NEC for security industry is tolerating this because if these companies are not paying salaries nothing is also being remmited to NEC from the mandatory NEC deductions from employees.
So the question that bergs to be answered is, who will save the guard? On their own they are voiceless and are prone to intimidation as any form of complaint can be termed indiscipline and with the anti labour winds that have been blowing in Zimbabwean courts, kuchema chete chete.
The 1977 control act must be revisited, action must be taken againts the indigenous security companies under Zinsa who are paying below the minimum wage, some of them are going for months without paying salaries.
Other wise it will be suffer continue for the guard.
Source - Cremio Mabauwa
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