Pay increases for security guards and car guards alike

The new minimum wages will apply to every employer and employee in the security sector, including car guards.

Contracted security guards marched from Princess Park to the newly built Tshwane House demanding that they recieve outstanding payment and that outsourcing must fall, 26 June 2017, Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Nelles

New minimum wages for security guards will kick in from 1 October, the department of labour announced this week, Pretoria East Rekord reports.

These wages were supposed to become effective on September 1 but this was delayed due to a collective bargaining deal yet to be agreed.

The new minimum wage for security officers in Area A, which constitutes major metropolitan areas, will be R5 209 (up from R4 896 in 2016), Grade B will rise to R4 668 (previously R4 387) and Grade C to R4 102 (previously R3 797) while D and E are R4 102 (R3 792 in 2016).

The wages for security officers in Area 2 (all other areas) for Grade A will be R4 323, Grade B is R3 934 and Grade C, D and E is R3 414.

On Monday, the labour department wound-off a public consultation process with all parties in the private security sector to amend the currently prescribed minimum wages.

These new wages will apply to every employer and employee in the sector, including car guards.

According to the department, the private security sector includes both employers and employees “associated for the purpose of guarding or protecting fixed property; premises; goods; persons or employees; including monitoring and responding to alarms at premises guarded by electronic means”.

Shaun Feldman, the employment standards deputy director at the department, said workers and employers in the industry must give their inputs before the promulgation of the new minimum wage.

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