Welfare of Security Guards Protected Under the Law

Please refer to the letters “No welfare for security guards” (1 Jan 2007) and “Welfare of security officers deserve scrutiny” (3 Jan 2007) by Mr Peter Tan Ah Chye and Mr Nor Hisyam Taib respectively.

2.  The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the security industry associations, Union of Security Employees and the Singapore Police Force have been working closely together to improve the working conditions in the security industry. For example, joint briefings and dialogues are held with security guard agencies (SGAs) to remind them of their legal responsibilities. SGAs are also audited to ensure that their employment terms and conditions comply with the law.

3.  On employment conditions, the Employment Act sets out clearly the basic rights and responsibilities of employers and employees, including the provision of employment benefits such as annual leave, sick leave and rest day. Under Part 4 of the Act, which covers all workmen and employees earning a basic monthly salary of $1,600 or less, an employer may engage an employee to work up to 8 hours a day or 44 hours a week. If an employee works beyond this duration, he must be paid for the extra work at a rate not less than 1.5 times his hourly basic pay. The total working hours, including overtime work, is limited to 12 hours a day. Overtime work must not exceed 72 hours a month, unless exemption has been granted by the Commissioner for Labour.

4.  MOM has been taking enforcement action against employers in the security industry who breach the Employment Act. In 2006, 2 security agencies were convicted and fined a total of $60,400 for violating the Act by requiring their security officers to work more than 12 hours a day. Employers who breach the Employment Act can be prosecuted and fined up to $1,000 or face imprisonment for up to 6 months or both, for each offence.

5.  We thank Mr Tan and Mr Nor Hisyam for their feedback, and would like to invite them and others who know of such infringements to contact MOM at 6317 1398 or email to mom_lrd@mom.gov.sg to provide us with more information to look into the matter.

It seems to me it is easy to take advantage of the older worker.

Just look at the pay of a security officer from one security agency: $45 a day for 12 hours of work, and a seven-day work week.

You do not get CPF payments, no days off, no medical benefits, no year-end bonus, no pay increments. Unlike in-house security officers (such as those in country clubs or hotels) who work three shifts of eight hours and get benefits, those with agencies work two shifts of 12 hours.

In-house jobs are hard to come by. Agencies hire security personnel to work longer hours for smaller pay and they save costs, but no benefits are transferred to the workers. How is that a form of motivation?

What can be done to improve the welfare and benefits of security personnel who are above the age of 55? Who can we seek recourse from if something goes wrong, since we do not have insurance or sometimes, even a proper work contract?

Is there a way for the Ministry of Manpower to look into the operations of these agencies to fine-tune their regulations, or to check on their integrity? Or are we to feel lucky that we can still get a job at this age?