‘Increase working hours to 12’

WE WANT 12 hours. This was the demand from security guards and their employers at the first nationwide consultations in Lautoka on the review of their hours of work by the Ministry of Employment and Industrial Relations.

Professional Securities managing director Vijay

Prakash said the increase in hours was long overdue.

“This industry has always been crying for an increase,” he said.

“I have been in this industry for 30 years and I know that the officers, after working eight hours, change out of their uniform and they work on the same site just to get more money to meet the needs of their families.

“And now this consultation for the 12 hours is a really big relief for them, and I would like to say that I also want the 12 hours for my workers.”

Mr Prakash said their only concerns as employers were the agreements they had with their clients.

“When we are client-oriented, we need to be compensated whenever there is a statutory increase which came into effect on April 1, 2022,” he said.

“We the employers are also in favour of giving them the 12 hours.”

Mr Prakash said another concern was the huge overtime that has not been implemented.

“They (clients) have a big say in the contract that we have with them and it is always at a fixed price.

“So, they also need to be in this consultation.”

Security officer Paulini Waqabaca said the increase would provide much relief for many officers.

“We have families to take care of and the hours we are on at the moment do not meet our needs,” she said.

“It is a daily struggle for us to work eight hours but not have enough to take home.”

The consultations continue next week.