Security guards from around Nigel protested outside the Duduza Customer Care Centre on Wednesday.
More than 70 security guards blocked entry to the Ekurhuleni municipality’s Duduza Customer Care Centre on Wednesday in protest over late payment of salaries.
The guards, employed by Motane Investment, are stationed at various municipal sites around Nigel.
The Private Sector Workers Trade Union (PSWTU), representing the workers since January, said bonuses have not been paid for two years and salaries are repeatedly paid late, sometimes by two weeks.
The guards also downed tools in February after receiving a letter from management saying payment would again be delayed.
Company manager William Gwimbini said the delays were caused by late payment to Motane Investment by the municipality.
But PSWTU provincial coordinator Raymond Tshamano says the workers have heard the same excuse for years.
“Our job is to push the municipality to make payments,” said Tshamano. He said even if an employer had not been paid by the municipality, it was still legally obliged to pay salaries.
Ekurhuleni municipal spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said the City pays its contracted companies and does not interfere in labour relations between contractors and their employees.
Security guard Ayanda Maseko said she is struggling financially and has been unable to support her children at university.
“The company is always telling us that the municipality does not pay on time, and when we go to the municipality, it blames the company. They should put their house in order,” she said.
Workers also alleged that deductions for UIF, health cover and provident fund contributions are not being paid over to the relevant schemes.
“When we check on the provident fund system on WhatsApp, we can see that the company last contributed to the fund in 2024. But the company keeps deducting money from us,” said Siphiwe Msibi.
Msibi and Maseko have now received their February salary but their bonuses are still outstanding. They were told this would be paid on Friday.
Gwimbini denied this and said the company has been paying contributions to UIF, the provident fund, and Affinity Health.
“The only problem is that we make all contributions after the 7th due to late payments [by the municipality], which is why some payments have been lapsing,” he said.
He promised to forward the proof but had not done so at the time of publication. Gwimbini also did not respond to questions about why late payments have become routine.
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