The Hindu : Kerala News : Trade unions seek better deal for security guards

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 07, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

Trade unions seek better deal for security guards

Staff Reporter

There is no legal norms for protection of salary, employment

KOCHI: They guard almost everything. From banks to ATM counters and commercial establishments and individual houses. But they belong to the most insecure category when it comes to job security and wages.

Private security guards are one of the most vulnerable and exploited unorganised employment sectors in the State. Poor wages, long and tedious working hours, absence of legal framework for the protection of salary and employment... their plight goes on unending.

Realising the ordeal of the security guards, Central trade unions are planning to focus their attention on this unorganised sector.

Carl Leinoen, regional director of the Service Employees International Union, USA, recently met senior leaders of the Central trade unions including the CITU, AITUC and the INTUC and held discussions regarding the working conditions and wage structure of the security guards in the State.

"The CITU is in the process of organising security guards, who are undergoing severe exploitation," said K. Chandran Pillai, MP, who is also the State secretary of the organisation.

The issue of poor wages, dismal working conditions and the lack of labour legislations governing them will be raised in the Rajya Sabha. The State and Central Governments should take the lead to provide better service conditions to this section of workers, he said.

Some legislation should be in place to ensure minimum wages to security guards, he said.

The INTUC, which claims to have formed the biggest trade union of security guards in the State, is planning to organise a convention in Kochi on June 17 to discuss the issues faced by the security guards.

The union has been organising security guards in the State for the last three years. The trade union of the permanently employed security guards of the INTUC has nearly 10,000 members, said K. Suresh Babu, State president of the union.

The trade union membership of security guards affiliated to the INTUC and who are not on the list of permanent employees will come around 7,000, he said.

All the categories of security guards like ex-servicemen, civilians and those recruited by various agencies will be brought together at the Kochi meeting, he said.

Mr. Leinoen held discussions with CITU leaders K.N. Ravindranath, Mr. Pillai and Gopinath. He also interacted with security men who are members of trade unions affiliated to the AITUC and the INTUC leader Elsebius Master.

Mr. Leinoen also held discussions with various trade union leaders in New Delhi, Kolkota and Bangalore, said K.K. Gopakumar, a trade union leader from the BSNL, who coordinated the Kochi meetings.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail