Security guards from Cecilia Makiwane Hospital say they were fired last week by their employer, Xhobani Security Services, for embarking on an illegal strike over alleged victimisation and unfair treatment by their bosses.
Yesterday, 40 security guards gathered outside the company offices in Southernwood demanding to speak to general manager Carl Lonn. They accused the company of failing to address their grievances.
Lonn, according to one of his managers, declined the opportunity to put forward his side of the story.
The Daily Dispatch was told to wait outside Lonn’s office. The official came out saying: “The manager says the company will not comment at the moment.”
A security guard, who did not want to be named, claimed a supervisor issued warnings to staff without following the proper labour practises. “These problems have been going on for a long time and many of us kept quiet about it because we do not want to lose our jobs. He does not seem to follow the correct labour practises. We have rights but he wants things to go his own way. If we step outside the hospital premises to buy food he takes us for a hearing or gives staff a warning.”
A woman employee made serious allegations of gender discrimination against a supervisor. “Some of the ladies do not report him because they are scared to lose their jobs. We want the management to address our issues before this turns bad. We work in fear around him.”
The guards claimed the company’s human resources officials “do not even want to hear our side of the story when we are taken in to a hearing”.
She said: “We have been unfairly dismissed and we are told they have already replaced us with new people. Some of us had money deducted from our salaries and when we inquired abut this we are told to write a pay query and nothing happens after that.”Chairman of the African Security Congress (ASC) Siyabulela Mateza vowed to continue with the strike until the matter was resolved. “We will fight to have this company closed down because this is not the first time this is happening. If this case does not go anywhere then we will stage a sit-in at the hospital.”
General secretary of the SA Security and Allied Workers Union, Xolile Mashukuca, said they wanted the company to address them urgently. “There have been numerous reports of this situation and therefore we can’t overlook their grievances. We want the company to deal with these issues. They must launch an investigation and remove that supervisor from the site.”
Eastern Cape department of health spokesman Lwandile Sicwetsha said security at the hospital had not been affected. “We asked the company to get replacements because we do not want disruptions at our facility. The rest of the questions must be directed to the security company as the security personnel is employed by the company, not the department.”..