BY JAMES MUTASA

Employees of Squad Security Services (Pvt) Limited recently approached the Zimbabwe Security Guard Workers Union (ZISEGU) seeking assistance regarding the unfair labour practices they are facing at their workplace.

The employees say they are exposes to non-provision of used uniforms, none provision of second transport to the workstations and an erratic payment of wages which resulted in employees losing more than US$6000 in unpaid salaries among other allegations.

‘‘We write to you as our Legal Representatives seeking your legal intervention towards unfair labour practice by the employer. It is on our records that we have brought the same complaints in the past and you wrote to them trying to intercede on our behalf but they refused to entertain you or hear you out and your letters were never responded to,’’ reads a letter written to ZISEGU by the Squad Security Service Workers Committee signed by the workers committee chairman and secretary.

In the letter seen by The Worker Publication workers further stated that Squad Security Service is charging employees 2% - 3% above normal bank rate so that workers get their USD salary component, a move which negatively impacted their salaries as the employer pays their wages using the normal bank rate.

According to the letter, Squad Security claimed to buy or source employees’ USD salary component elsewhere alleging that the USD he gets from clients is not enough to pay salaries.

The employees charged that works council meetings were reduced to secondary school lessons as the employer dictates what ought to be done rather than discussing with the employees.

‘‘During the collective bargaining discussions,’’ the letter went on, ‘‘a deadlock was reached on all items on the agenda due to the company’s position that it has always maintained that they are facing hardships every time we have a works council meeting, thus reducing the council to a forum where the management conducts an economics lesson to the worker’s committee for the benefit of the workers. The company has never and always avoids workers’ grievances by claiming that the company the company is facing financial hardships but without producing audited results,’’ reads the letter.

The employees alleged that the company refused to submit audited accounts so as to buttress their financial incapacitation claim, arguing that they cannot hire an auditor.

The Squad Security employees concluded their letter by instructing ZISEGU to take the matter further.

‘‘We will not sit back and watch whilst employees in the security industry are mistreated, in that regard we have to engage the employer and bring sanity for employees at the workplace,’’ ZISEGU General Secretary Philemon Nhema said.

The Human Resources Manager of Squad Security Services (Pvt) Ltd a security company which provides its client with an excellent service which allows peace of mind with regards to safety and security, Nyadenga, refuted employees’ allegations.