Security personnel strikes continue to affect one of Matlosana Youth Care Centres in North West

The ongoing security personnel strikes continue to affect one of the Matlosana Youth Care Centres in the North West.

They are formerly known as Bosasa Youth Centres. Security staff say when Bosasa was liquidated in 2019, all employees were promised to be absorbed by the Department of Social Development, but that never happened.

They allege that they are currently subjected to irregular and late payments and no payslips.

Bosasa was liquidated in 2019, leaving many workers pondering their future.

But some staff members were absorbed by the provincial department of Social Development, while the security personnel were excluded.

This led to the outsourcing of security services at the care centre. The workers union, Nehawu, says that created administrative challenges.

Nehawu regional organiser Thami Mbipha explains: “From 2019 already, what they did they gave month to month contracts to service providers and it created a serious administrative blunder because you will understand that if you had to bid from month to month basis, it’s a lot of work.

They could not keep up. They appointed service providers late. Workers as I am talking to you now it’s three months without getting paid.”

The union says service providers were back paid without providing services.

“You have permanent officials, employees who are stationed here permanent from Bosasa. So, when any service provider is appointed, it inherits these employees, so the employees are providing service on a permanent basis.

These service providers when they are appointed, they are appointed and backdated and back paid, not necessarily having provided service. This is corruption in essence. The HOD cannot run this department, the MEC is sleeping on duty.”

The month to month security services procurement affected workers immensely.

Meanwhile, the Department of Social Development did not want to respond to SABC’s inquiry on the month to month security provision. It says it can only respond after attending to the workers’ complaints

Social Development Relebogile Mafokane says: “The department is giving this matter urgent attention. A further update will be provided once the internal processes are finalised. There are allegations that the security service providers are not paying their guards. The department is also attending to these allegations in line with the private security industry regulations act of 2001.”

Security personnel working at Rustenburg and Taung based child and youth care centres, are also on strike.