Sentinel security guards strike over unpaid salaries

Security guards attached to Sentinel Security Incorporated in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne) have gone on strike, alleging that they have not been paid for months. The guards, who provide security for major retail companies said they have not been paid since October and accuse the company, Sentinel Security Inc, of repeatedly misleading both workers and labour officials.

After staging a three-day sit-out last week, the guards said they have now decided to fully withdraw their labour, insisting they can no longer work without pay. Many of the workers have served the company for more than a decade. The strike action follows repeated complaints by guards that salaries are being delayed for up to three months, while statutory deductions continue to be reflected on pay records without clear proof of remittance. Although many guards are affected, only five agreed to speak publicly during interviews conducted at the company’s New Amsterdam location. Those guards said the protest was not impulsive, but the result of years of unresolved problems that have now reached a breaking point.
Sixty-year-old Bhojkumar Ramsundar said he and several colleagues have not been paid for November, December and the first part of January. He said management repeatedly claims the company has no money, while visits to the Ministry of Labour have produced only assurances. “When we go to Labour [Ministry of Labour], every week they promise us, but until now we get no money. They taking out NIS and we getting no benefit,” Ramsundar alleged, adding that basic household responsibilities such as rent, utilities and food have become increasingly difficult to manage. Another guard, Michael Quinton, also 60, said he has worked with Sentinel since April 13, 2010, giving him almost 15 years of service. He said his last salary was for October, paid shortly before Christmas. “We went to Labour Friday. They say we didn’t get paid and maybe weekend we will get it. Weekend come, nothing. This morning [Monday], I come at 5:30 and the office closed,” Quinton said. Quinton, who lives in a rented accommodation, said he has since received notice to vacate. He also said NIS continues to be deducted although he has not been paid, and he has already lodged a report with the NIS office.
Meanwhile, Darwin Richards, 24, said he has been employed with Sentinel since September 27, 2023. He said payment delays have been present throughout his employment, but the current situation has become unbearable. “We running up to three months without no money. You got rent; you got bills. Sometimes you can’t even come to work with food,” Richards said, explaining that he survives only with help from family members. Vishal Seenarine, 28, said he has worked with Sentinel since 2016. He said he is owed wages for November and December, and that his last payment for October was received before Christmas. “They keep telling Labour we will get paid by weekend. Monday come, no payment. This thing going on for years,” Seenarine said, adding that he does not know how long he can continue working without income. Aubrey Jones, who has worked in private security since 1997 and with Sentinel since 2013, described a long-standing pattern of delayed wages. “August money coming in October. September money coming in November. October money we get in November. After that, nothing,” Jones said. He said guards are frequently sent back and forth between Georgetown and Berbice management, with neither taking responsibility. He also said client companies continue paying Sentinel on schedule. “They getting their money straight. Why they can’t pay us?” he asked. Jones added that guards work extended shifts, sometimes ten to twelve hours, receive no overtime, and are often left without relief. Beyond wages, the guards said the NIS issue is particularly worrying, especially for older workers approaching retirement. “This is our sickness, our injury, our pension,” Quinton said. “If that not paid, we losing everything.” In 2018, guards attached to the company in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) had publicly complained of being owed two months’ salary. In 2023, a former armed guard from the New Amsterdam branch also alleged that NIS was deducted but not remitted and that overtime was not paid. More recently, Government officials have warned that security companies could face serious sanctions, including loss of State contracts, if NIS deductions are taken from workers but not paid over. The guards said such warnings have not yet translated into tangible relief on the ground.
They insist their strike is not about confrontation, but survival. “We honest workers. Food or no food, we come to work. But work must pay,” Quinton said. Richards said the emotional strain is heavy. “You still put on the uniform, but inside you don’t know how you going to live,” he said. Seenarine said he is waiting for any form of resolution. “I can’t wait forever,” he said. Jones said the guards briefly stood down last week after being promised payment, only to be disappointed again. “They promise, then when you call, no money,” he said. The guards are now calling for firm intervention by the Ministry of Labour to ensure outstanding wages are paid, NIS deductions are properly accounted for, and workers are protected from retaliation. Sentinel Security Inc has previously stated in public correspondence that it is a separate corporate entity and not a renamed version of any former company. However, the guards said the matter before them is not corporate history, but accountability. This newspaper made attempts to contact Sentinel Security Inc for comment on the latest allegations. Up to press time, no response was received.