João Adriano
Employees of the National Youth Security Services (NYSS) are frustrated with their employer for making empty promises about them getting minimum wages.
Yesterday, the employees, alongside the Namibia Transport Allied Workers Union (Natau), held a peaceful demonstration and handed over a petition to the National Youth Service (NYS).
It is their stance that they say they need higher wages to improve their standard of living, reduce poverty and maintain social peace.
“The purpose of this collective agreement is to also prevent the exploitation of security officers in Namibia,” said Rachel Stefanus, one of the security guards.
The group said, in 2016, a collective agreement for the minimum wage for the security industry was made and entered into between the Security Association of Namibia and trade unions representing security guards in the country.
“Contrary to the above and since the implementation of the minimum wage, NYSS has been among the companies that did not comply with this agreement,” said Stefanus.
She further said, in 2018, workers of NYSS assisted by the trade unions referred the case of non-compliance to the office of the labour commissioner, and the compliance order was issued but the company failed to honour it.
“This year, they promised to pay accordingly as of 1 April 2023, which never materialised; they made another promise in September and the last one in November. It looks like our management took advantage of our patience and vulnerability – and this time around, we are fed up with being exploited and not paid accordingly,” she said.
Stefanus said security guards in the country receive low wages and are subjected to harsh working conditions, where they risk their lives by guarding valuable assets.
The NYSS security officers further stressed that the hourly rate paid to them is unfair and makes it difficult for them to survive and practice their work effectively, as they cannot even afford to buy bread.
“How does management expect us to survive on the rate of N$7.75 per hour, which is even far from the price of bread,” stressed Stefanus.
According to the Labour Act of 2017, the minimum wage for security officers is N$8.75 per hour, and this must have been effective as of January 2017.
Committee member of the guards, Erastus Nghidulika, said they are no longer going to tolerate further exploitation from their employer.
“We want to be paid as per the minimum wage agreement and also want our back pay from 1 April 2023,” said a frustrated Nghidulika.
The security guards are pleading with the line minister to intervene, provide leadership and give them feedback by 15 December to avoid a boycott.
NYS executive member Ben Biwa received the petition and promised to hand it over to the line ministry.
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