The Security Association of Namibia (SAN) says a three-year phasing in of the minimum wage will reduce the retrenchment of over 5 000 security guards.
This follows the potential retrenchment of workers as some companies choose not to comply with the gazetted minimum wage increase from N$10 to N$18 per hour.
SAN national president Kuume Uutaapama on Wednesday spoke about the association’s negotiations with the ministry of labour in December to introduce the three-year phasing programme.
“We, as part of the Namibia Security Labour Forum, received an exemption from the ministry of labour to increase the minimum wage to N$13.50 in 2025, N$16 in 2026 and N$18 in 2027,” he said.
Uutaapama said the programme will reduce the number of security guard retrenchments from 5 000 to 3 500.
The entry level wage of a security guard was N$8.50 per hour and N$10 per hour for a security guard who has been employed for a year.
He added that clients who are not compliant to the increment do not take into consideration the security company cost such as labour, uniforms, transportations, equipment, insurance and rental costs.
Namibia Protection Services chief executive Fanie Horn said this phasing-in programme will reduce their company’s risk of retrenching over 400 employees.
“As a company we want to make sure our employees are taken care of and can retain their jobs,” he said.
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