Security guards claim exploitation

HAMS Security Services yesterday became the latest company to be threatened with labour action after about 50 employees, mainly security guards, demonstrated in front of the company offices.

Alleged discrimination, victimisation and exploitation were the reasons given by workers for their unhappiness with HAMS owner Andries de Jager. One worker also charged, in the presence of De Jager, that the HAMS owner had secretly paid “under the table” amounts to an officer in the Labour Commissioner’s Office to keep the office from intervening in what the workers charge are gross labour violations.In a petition handed to De Jager, workers claimed that the company had refused to give pay rises, refused to grant leave, and and that De Jager had, at one point, insulted workers by calling them “bobbejane” (baboons).”Companies like Pick ‘n Pay, FP Du Toit, Carl List House, MTC and Jenny’s Place who have tenders with HAMS Security Services must know that we are (being) mistreated,” said Hedwig Garises, who read the petition.They gave the company 14 days to reply favourably to their petition, threatening further steps if it did not.Speaking to The Namibian afterwards, De Jager claimed that the workers were on a “witch-hunt”.The company would respond to the workers’ petition within their time frame, he said, although countering that most of the allegations were “far-fetched”.On an allegation that he had bribed an officer in the Labour Commissioner’s Office, De Jager said he regarded this as very serious, but declined to elaborate on what his response would be.His company was following the Labour Act to the tee, he said, challenging workers to come up with evidence of misdoing on its part.On the allegation that he had insulted workers by allegedly calling them baboons, De Jager says this was taken out of context in the workers’ petition.At the time of the incident, he says workers had been playing with their two-way radios, making noises and causing a nuisance.This had apparently made communication between users of the device difficult.De Jager said he had been sitting at headquarters and ordered the workers to stop playing.”I got on the [radio] and said the baboon that was doing this needed to stop.I used it as a figure of speech.At no point did I call anyone a baboon in their personal capacity,” he said.He also defended a deduction of N$60 from workers who were absent from work.It was stipulated in workers’ service contracts, De Jager said, adding that it is standard procedure at most other security companies.”Around the end of the month you find something like 18 to 20 guys per shift not showing up.So we have to get in other guys to work overtime.It costs the company N$93 to replace these workers who just go absent.So my question is, why must the company pay for these guys’ negligence?”One worker also charged, in the presence of De Jager, that the HAMS owner had secretly paid “under the table” amounts to an officer in the Labour Commissioner’s Office to keep the office from intervening in what the workers charge are gross labour violations.In a petition handed to De Jager, workers claimed that the company had refused to give pay rises, refused to grant leave, and and that De Jager had, at one point, insulted workers by calling them “bobbejane” (baboons).”Companies like Pick ‘n Pay, FP Du Toit, Carl List House, MTC and Jenny’s Place who have tenders with HAMS Security Services must know that we are (being) mistreated,” said Hedwig Garises, who read the petition.They gave the company 14 days to reply favourably to their petition, threatening further steps if it did not.Speaking to The Namibian afterwards, De Jager claimed that the workers were on a “witch-hunt”.The company would respond to the workers’ petition within their time frame, he said, although countering that most of the allegations were “far-fetched”.On an allegation that he had bribed an officer in the Labour Commissioner’s Office, De Jager said he regarded this as very serious, but declined to elaborate on what his response would be.His company was following the Labour Act to the tee, he said, challenging workers to come up with evidence of misdoing on its part.On the allegation that he had insulted workers by allegedly calling them baboons, De Jager says this was taken out of context in the workers’ petition.At the time of the incident, he says workers had been playing with their two-way radios, making noises and causing a nuisance.This had apparently made communication between users of the device difficult.De Jager said he had been sitting at headquarters and ordered the workers to stop playing.”I got on the [radio] and said the baboon that was doing this needed to stop.I used it as a figure of speech.At no point did I call anyone a baboon in their personal capacity,” he said.He also defended a deduction of N$60 from workers who were absent from work.It was stipulated in workers’ service contracts, De Jager said, adding that it is standard procedure at most other security companies.”Around the end of the month you find something like 18 to 20 guys per shift not showing up.So we have to get in other guys to work overtime.It costs the company N$93 to replace these workers who just go absent.So my question is, why must the company pay for these guys’ negligence?”