Private security guards working in various banks, organisations, and offices plan to hold a meeting and agitate for their rights.
About 10,000 private security personnel are working under various agencies in Vijayawada city.
Sometimes, the security men face risk to their lives in guarding the banks, Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), jewellery shops, and showrooms.
The managements engaging the guards are not paying wages as prescribed by the Labour Department and not providing any benefits as per the statuary laws and the guards are facing untold hardship with meagre salaries.
‘No benefits'
Vijayawada Security Guards' Union president CH. V. S. Sastry said that many companies which engage guards for various banks, companies, educational institutions, showrooms, and other organisations were not providing Provident Fund, Employees State Insurance, pay leaves, and holiday benefits.
The GOs issued by the State and Central governments were limited to paper only, and even the company managements were not following the directions of the Labour and Revenue Departments. Some companies were not paying salaries regularly, said Mr. Sastry.
A few Delhi and Hyderabad-based security companies engaged guards at various nationalised and private banks, but were not paying salaries as per the Minimum Wages Act and Contract Labour Act, said union secretary N. Seeta Ramaiah.
The security maintenance companies should follow the instructions of the Regional Labour Commissioner (RLC) in paying salaries and providing other benefits to the guards. The union would organise a meeting to discuss the problems and take up agitations in a phased manner seeking solution to their problems, said the union leaders.
