Berbice security guards sent home empty-handed again

Several security guards in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) attached to Integrated Security Service were on Friday evening give their transportation fare to go home, after waiting for almost 12 hours for their salaries, to no avail.
The guards had been waiting outside the company’s office situated at Trinity Street, New Amsterdam, for owed salaries. When Guyana Times visited the security guards on Friday afternoon, it was relayed that some persons were waiting close to 12 hours. Some were paid while others were sent away empty-handed. Those who were not paid were told to return on Tuesday for their salary.
Some of the guards have not been paid since January of this year.
One of the guards told this publication that several of them have been very patient with management of the security service but noted that they are being treated very unfairly.

“He tell we that we can go to who we want, no one can’t make him pay we. He is very disrespectful; some of these people could be his grandmother,” one guard related in tears on Friday night, saying that she had nothing to cook and was waiting on the money to buy groceries.
“He tell me, is not he send me to make children,” the single parent added, when she related that she has children to feed.
The guards were attached to a private company, which has been contracted to provide security services for schools, hospitals and other Government buildings in the region, as well as the Regional Democratic Council compound. More than 200 guards were not paid.
Meanwhile, for most of those who walked out of the office with an envelope, there were no smiles on their faces, as they said the money they received will all go into paying debts. “Dis money aint right,” many told Guyana Times.
According to the guards, only some of them were paid in full for December but the majority only received a part payment for December and January.
On Friday, some of the workers were paid at the New Amsterdam office. However, the majority were told that they will be paid this week.
Some of the guards were told that their money was deposited at a commercial bank but when Guyana Times visited that bank in New Amsterdam, several guards were there and all claimed that there was no money in their accounts, as was related by management of the security firm.
“What will we do now? He said that he don’t have money to pay everybody,” one frustrated guard related.
Meanwhile, a source close to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) said the security company visited the RDC with documents purporting to indicate that all of the guards were paid for the month of January.
Chief Executive Officer of the company, Ghalee Khan told the guards to take him to the Labour Department if they feel that they were treated unfairly.
Meanwhile, many of the workers are single parents, with school age children. The workers met outside of the company’s Trinity Street, New Amsterdam office and expressed their frustrations. The workers complained that they have worked inflexible hours and earned nothing.
Meanwhile, guards in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) who are employed by the same company are also being made to wait on their salaries. The situation is the same with monies allegedly being owed for the months of December and January. (Andrew Carmichael)