Security guards paid lower than carpenters and gardeners
View(s):The Sri Lanka Security Providers Association (SLASSPA) has welcomed moves by the Government to increase the wages of private sector employees saying security guards were getting salaries even lower than carpenters or gardeners.
Under the move, the basic salary of security guards will go up by Rs. 2,500 per month. This would be dispersed in two installments; Rs. 1,500 immediately and Rs. 1,000 from 1st January 2016.
“Our Sri Lankan security industry has been suffering from the effects of a situation that is fast spiraling out of control. It is a vicious cycle where an increasing shortage of personnel, combined with low fees paid by clients, unilateral fee deductions and low salaries to security personnel, has resulted in an industry which is now lacking in morale and initiative. This vicious cycle has left its mark on our industry, with increasing deterioration of service performance on ground, resulting in losses impacting cost of production and competitiveness of key Lankan industries like tea, garments and cement, SLASSPA President, Major Tissa Aluwihare said in a media statement.
He said over the past two decades the members and leaders of this sector have endeavoured to find the ‘magic formula’ to put things right and create a happy balance between the industry, the clients and their workforce. “The vicious cycle of low salaries, low image, low recognition, low rewards have hitherto nullified their efforts. We, the industry, warmly welcome this increment, which would elevate our security guards, bringing their salaries close to the targetted threshold of earning Rs 1,000 a day, which is in-line with wages of gardeners and carpenters”.