Security industry under scrutiny

By Ofentse Mokae
04 February 2010

The security industry will be under harsh scrutiny when labour inspectors kick start their first blitz inspections across the country next week to ensure compliance with all labour laws.

The inspections will verify compliance with laws such as health and safety to the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

Western Cape provincial spokesperson Themba Gubula says their office will be conducting about 200 inspections in various private security companies across the province.

“This comes hot on the heels of similar tough-as-nail inspections in the agricultural, construction and hospitality sectors,”Gubula says.

Gubula says the inspections follow the declaration by labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana, that 'workers’ rights are human rights and that they will stop at nothing to ensure compliance.

Allan van Wyk of Heritage Park Security says he is confident that their company will pass the inspections as they operate within stipulated laws and regulations.

Van Wyk, a manager at the Somerset West based company, says since inception of their company they have never had problems with labour officials and they are ready for the week long campaign.

The campaign, which starts on Monday, February the 08th and ends on Friday, will see teams of labour officials carefully going through company records, interviewing workers and management to ensure that nothing goes through the net.

According to experts, a total of 4 763 security firms were registered in 2006, employing a total of 269 901 workers.

The number of those employed was to grow phenomenally the following year with just over 300 000 employed.