IN the Kaieteur News of Sunday September 15, a disturbing column appeared with respect to the plight of some security guards.Do the workers of this country not know they have to fear no one when they are abused, underpaid or robbed by their employers? It is the thieving employer who must be afraid.   Are they not aware that the government has appointed the Ministry of Labour to look into their affairs?  Also, there are so many civic-minded individuals they can go to in any village or town to ask for help.  Then the political parties have offices everywhere where they can go to and complain if they feel that they cannot enjoy their rights as sellers of their labour.

A worker sells his labour, and hence, is entitled to his earnings. I am ashamed to know that in this country where security services now have to be licensed, and which must fulfil certain criteria, and fail to do so, and that there are still illegal ones operating, and some who are licensed are flouting the laws, stealing National Insurance contributions, and virtually escaping with murder and large-scale theft.
This is truly vexatious and extremely annoying.  The minimum wage before July 1, 2013 was $140 and became $202.  Yes, the timing was bad in my opinion…, but it is the law, and unless repealed, it must be adhered to or it becomes criminal.  This is why the undersigned gave up several contracts, especially Government security contracts, as I cannot steal, commit crime, steal NIS and VAT, as some will do to make ends meet.  No one is even doing any undercover work to arrest these dodgers and criminals.

One agency, calling itself a security service, tenders below cost, and is known to absorb the VAT as his profits, and the workers NIS and PAYE as his own, then trick the books to fool the authorities or bribes, he is good in that.  One is known also to operate a theft ring.  Several others in this city I am ashamed to say are doing the same, and allowed to operate.  I have a few honourable colleagues I can mention who will never sink to paying below the prescribed wages, or manipulate VAT, PAYE taxes and NIS.  Like I, they suffer the consequences but will not play with their names and honour.

I am also usually annoyed at the letter-writers.  They are afraid to state their names, they are afraid to say where they work, and they are afraid to say which company they work for.  This is Guyana, a democracy with laws to protect the workers, the vulnerable.  Laws which go back even to the days of the British, and embellished by the government of the day.  
We have the police and even political parties we are comfortable with to turn to for help.  Citizens of Guyana, state your name freely, or at least give clues to the location and company, so that the concerned ministry can launch a powerful or undercover investigation.  Look, go to Labour and state the company, do not be afraid; this is your right, your entitlement.  

Then the government has to seriously clamp down on these criminal operators of businesses that employ labour and abuse their workers with underpayment.  They must have their right to operate, taken away.

I went recently to an expatriate entity to discuss security.  The management wishes to change because they know the security guards are being paid below the stipulated rate, and that NIS contributions are being stolen, that for 12 hours, seven days per week, four weeks in the month, one full month and the workers get only $50,000. Their NIS contributions are deducted and never paid and they do not get annual leave.  This is sickening. That same company was taken numerous times to court by the NIS and GRA, but never fulfilled its promises to repay, never paid corporate taxes, so it changed its name, and hence, thousands of employees over the two decades have lost all benefits.  The other famous ones spoken of in this article are known for such skullduggery.  There are several others.  Another one, now defunct, was allowed to operate for a decade, eking out tens of millions of dollars of NIS and PAYE, and now the company is no more, the workers of this country lost, and a family changed the name and continues in his merry way, and allowed to.
 The government has to root them out and terminate them, and this goes for every employer who is involved in such rackets.  Some known ones are construction firms or groups, sawmills, rice millers, trucking companies, and so on.  The laws must be formatted for jail sentences, and NIS must now involve serious jail time, or the people, through the state have to bear the liability of the retired persons or sick ones cannot get benefits they paid for.  Bankruptcy must not save them, even if they operate with a corporate name or business name.

It is never possible to satisfy anyone with money, but for God’s Sake, the peoples’ sake, let us ensure they are paid the prescribed wages or shut them down, blacklist the employers!

The Ministry of Home Affairs appointed the police commissioner as the controller of security services, then the commissioner must do what he is mandated to.  I think it was not right to select the commissioner of police for this, as he is already saddled with enormous responsibilities; too much! Plus he heads a security service also within the Police Service.   It should have been a retired judge with an appointed committee.  

Hon. Minister Rohee, you proposed the bill, saw it through, now see it enforced!  Only through this can security services who do not pay prescribed wages or steal NIS or PAYE, can be imprisoned.  Use it Sir.  I will raise this at the next meeting of the National Commission on Law and Order.

Out of workers’ interest and respect for the law, I ask the editor of this media to please publish this piece urgently.