DWS security guards on brink of striking over unpaid wages

Sekhukhune

Hundreds of security guards employed at Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) are threatening to go on a full-blown strike if their outstanding salaries are not paid by Friday 23 August 2024. The security guards accuse their employer, Pristo Response Trading Security Company for failing to pay their salaries since June 2024.

Pristo Response Trading Security Company is a service provider contracted with DWS since 2022 to render service at Limpopo water and sanitation institutions and facilities, including dams such as De Hoop and Flag Boshielo in Sekhukhune District.

The security guards say they have since received a payment in May 2024 and they only got half of the salary during that month.

One of the security guards who did not want to be named, said since June they have been surviving by borrowing money from relatives as the company keeps promising that their salaries will be received soon. 

However, talks between the workers and employers to resolve the outstanding salary issue have reached a deadlock as the salaries were not paid in the last three months.

“We have been in a plight of continuing to work without salaries because our employer keeps saying our payment will be received within a week. We have been working for three months now with no payment. We feel that this is enough, we must go on strike to vent our frustrations,” she said.

She added that when they approach DWS, they are told the service provider was paid in full all these months and they do not know why their salaries are not paid.

“We are committed to our work but we will be striking because we want to bring it to the attention of those who delay to pay our salaries that we are now fed-up with their lies. We have children who have to eat and go to school. Our debts have also been outstanding for three months now and we believe that only a full-blown strike will make an impact that will speed up our payments,” she said.

Pristo Response Trading Operations Manager, Kenneth Nkosi, said the workers were not paid because they are in the process or renewing a contract with DWS since May 2024.

“Our contract with DWS expired in May and we are currently busy with a new one. Unfortunately, the process takes longer and affects salary payments to our employees,” he said.

Nkosi said all the workers were informed about the delay through a memo that was sent to them individually.

“Hopefully the contract processes should be completed by this week and the salaries will be paid latest by Tuesday 27 August 2024,” he said.