A recurring issue involving this security guard service

Mar 03, 2018 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Is there provision in the law assessing penalties for late wage payments and failure to pay minimum wage, overtime and leave passage to security guards?
The manner in which some security service providers have been and are behaving with regard to paying their guards late, short payment, not paying minimum wage, leave passage and overtime to their security guards leaves one to conclude that these security service providers have no compassion.
There seems to be no provision in the law in Guyana that assesses penalties for the aforementioned hence the plight of the guards in Regions Five and Six. This is a recurring issue and there really seemed to be no end in sight.
I am in sympathy with the guards a majority of whom are women who are single parents. They undoubtedly have a multiplicity of problems. Many employees in Guyana who are not guards but live a pay cheque to pay cheque existence would have empathy for these guards.
Roll over of payment to the next month by Integrated Security Service (ISS) is not a recent anomaly but a recurring issue. ISS was and is still providing security coverage for the Ministry of Education Department of Culture Youth and Sport and its multiple locations when my company bid for the Ministry contract in 2016.
I conducted a site visit to two of the Ministry’s location in Region six with a view to preparing a Security Risk Analysis/Security Survey. While there, I learnt from the guards that they have ‘never been paid on time’.
Back in Georgetown, the guards at the National Gymnasium and National Cultural Centre repeated what the guards in Region Six said.
I sense that many of the guards will not report because they are afraid of a possible repercussion.
In the Evaluation Criteria of the Bid Document, service providers are asked to submit evidence of established financial capacity or credit arrangement or bank statement representing a minimum value of 25% of bid price.
ISS is not a startup company; it has been in existence for a number of years providing security coverage to Government agencies. I would hate to think that this company is not financially healthy and could not provide the evidence requested.
Did ISS submit the information and if not, why not? Why this information is needed is self explanatory.
Did ISS submit an extract from its payroll to prove that it was in compliance with the National Minimum Wages for security guards? If not why were they not asked to submit same?
In December 2017, this company was awarded two multimillion dollar contracts, one in Region Five and the other in Region Six but to date it has not been paying its guards on time and has been paying them $225 per hour instead of $255 per hour.
The Bid Document would state that the contract “will be awarded to the bidder whose bid is determined to be substantially responsive (must obtain all ‘Passes’) and who has offered the lowest price”.
It is critical, therefore, that the bid be as low as possible while still covering all costs and generating a reasonable profit. How many service providers factor in base wage, overtime, uniform costs, transportation, training, vacation pay, meals, management fee, margin, etc to arrive at their hourly rate, failing which some companies are unable to pay the minimum wage, employee NIS, PAYE and honour other obligations.
Again the document states that the company must submit adequate information on the qualification and experience of Key Personnel (Provide detailed and signed Curriculum Vitae for all key personnel); manager and supervisors must have military training.
Are they ex military? If not and did not submit financial evidence from his/her banker and detailed signed Curriculum Vitae, then it stands to reason that ISS did not obtain all passes. If my memory serves me correct, the Bid Document would have requested Technical Approach, Methodology and Work Plan; was this submitted?
Can you imagine a company that has been in existence for a number of years has a finance section that is incapable of preparing proper pay slips for the security officers, problems computing their wages and management failure to address guards’ concerns in a timely manner?
This no doubt speaks volumes of the lack of leadership, its professionalism, its ineptness and its ability to provide the requisite guard force training to the guards who in turn are expected to provide an excellent customer service to the aforementioned regions.
This is not possible when you have an inept management team demoralizing its rank and file.
Some people are wondering, based on what we have been reading about this company and remarks made by the guards, if an investigation should be conducted by the Public Procurement Commission to ascertain if there is enough evidence to point to collusion in the award of contracts for Regions Five and Six to ISS.
Julius Williams

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