Security officers stationed at several schools across the country say they will not be reporting for duty as it is now seven months they are working without a salary.
About two dozen employees from Sure Security Services Ltd protested outside the Point Fortin AC Primary School yesterday, calling on the company to pay months of salaries and NIS contributions. Baton officers said they already handed back keys to school principals as they are fed-up with seeing their bank accounts and pantries empty.
“We have taken a stand that until we are paid, we will not report for duty at any location,” Anthony Cato told Guardian Media yesterday. Cato said both officers and office workers are without pay, despite the company having a contract with the Ministry of Education to station officers at primary schools around the country.
Cato said that when employees called the head office in St Joseph previously, it was rare that anyone answered.
When someone picked up the phone, management told them that the Ministry of Education had not paid the company.
They said it’s been hard on their pockets and is demotivating after working 24-hours shifts.
“We have been surviving little by little with help from family and friends. Those who work with us, principals and teachers would give us a hand, when needed. We do not ask for anything, but they help. Right about now, people are just trying to hold onto a job.”
But while they hold on, workers are often hungry as they barely have money to buy food.
Yoland Gift said that while the company claims the ministry has not paid, it continues to function as usual.
“We do not have any food. Long time we could have still stood a chance because we could have got a little school feeding. But there is no school so there is no box lunch, so we are dead.
“How can we work without food and you want us to come to work? If we call, we cannot get in contact with you, and if we get in contact with you, you say the ministry did not pay. So if the ministry does not pay, we cannot live because you do not have money to pay, but your business fixed,” Gift said.
Guardian Media called four phone numbers listed for the company, but all were out of service.