Cape Town – The Association of Private Security Owners of South Africa (Tapsosa) says the Passenger Rail Agency of SA (Prasa) is victimising its members after hundreds of workers were not paid over the festive season.
This comes after more than 1 000 rail security guards were left jobless when Prasa terminated their contracts in October.
In November, the companies won their case in the Western Cape High Court, which ordered that they go back on duty.
Prasa was ordered to pay costs and pay the companies money it owed them following late payments.
It was also ordered to provide the court with an “adequate contingency safety plan” within 30 days, approved by the Railway Safety Regulator, for the protection of commuters, employees and Prasa assets.
Tapsosa represents Chuma Protection Services, one of three Western Cape private security companies that has hundreds of security personnel tasked with safeguarding train drivers, commuters and rail infrastructure along the northern, southern and the notoriously dangerous central lines.
Chuma Security Services chief executive Sithethi Ngcwangu said they approached their union following
Prasa’s failure to respond to their emails asking why they had not been paid.
“It was a black Christmas and New Year’s Eve for me and my employees as Prasa did not pay us.
“I have tried every kind of communication to get Prasa’s attention and to make them understand the business and employees are suffering.
“All of this fell on deaf ears. I really don’t know what to do any more,” Ngcwangu said.
Tapsosa president Jones Maphalaphathwa said they could not stand to see either members who have families to support providing services with no pay in return.
“Our instruction is to point out that our members providing services to your organisation remain unpaid as at the end of November 2019 although still expected to provide uninterrupted services.
“Our members are historically disadvantaged private security businesses who are constantly subjected to late payment of invoices, which continues to place a huge financial burden on their operations.
“The latter mostly emanate from a previously and still disadvantaged background and have no additional financial resources or other means to secure additional funding other than relying on the revenue they receive when service has been rendered,” Maphalaphathwa said in a letter to Prasa.
He said the union viewed Prasa’s action as victimisation.
“We urge you to pay our members with immediate effect and any further failure will result in us approaching the Minister of Transport for urgent intervention including, but not limited to, approaching the relevant court,” Maphalaphathwa said.
Prasa spokesperson Nana Zenani said she would respond to questions today.