Security minimum wage gazetted

SECURITY companies that once argued that they would not pay the minimum wage because it was not gazetted will not have to swallow their words, and pay any backdated amounts due to their workers, along with the new wage.

The collective agreement for the security industry was finally gazetted last week Tuesday, although it came into effect already on June 1. Agreed upon between the Security Association of Namibia, the Federation of Security Employers in Namibia, the Namibia Transport and Allied Workers Union (NATAU), and the Namibia Security Guards and Watchmen’s Union on April 15, the agreement will remain in effect until December 2011.NATAU Khomas Regional Co-ordinator Likius Vilho yesterday told The Namibian that with the gazetting of the agreement, companies that had been arguing on this point would have to backdate payments for the months of June through September.’The agreement has been gazetted and it should be honoured,’ he said, adding that there were still slot of companies, particularly ‘briefcase companies’, that were still not paying the new minimum wage of N$3.80 an hour, and from whose employees the union had received numerous complaints.It is estimated that between 15 000 and 20 000 people are employed by over 100 private security companies in the country, and the industry is said to be one of the fastest growing in Namibia and the SADC region, but also one paying the lowest wages.Prior to the agreement, the minimum or entry-level wage for employees was N$3 per hour. Many argue that even the new minimum wage of N$3.80 is still not a reasonable living wage.nangula@namibian.com.na