Kalibur Security Officers protest against delayed payments, poor working conditions

On Friday, security officers attached to the Kalibur’s Security Firm, sought the attention of the relevant authorities including the Minister of Labour Joseph Hamilton, on the issue of delayed payments and poor working conditions. At the time of the protest, the workers claim they were not in receipt of September’s salary.

The security officers assembled at the Republic Avenue office with placards in their hands. One placard labled ” We need salary increase too, security lives matter! Government buildings cannot guard itself, increase our salaries “
According to Javon Rose, a security officer attached to the company for the past six months, it has been a regular case of delayed payments.
The 26-year-old, is a Health Science student attached to the Ministry of Health but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, his classes were put on hold. This led Rose to seek employment in order to provide for his family; he became the breadwinner since the passing of his father.
Rose said that the delay not only affects him but it also affects his mother, sister, brother and nephew who are all depending on him.

When INFO10 contacted the Operation Manager of Kalibur Security, Lennox Herbert, he said that he was not aware of the situation and requested that Info10 returned a call at a later time.
Upon returning the call, Herbert notified Info10 that the delay in payment was due to hiccups in the government’s system, as the Regional Democratic Council is one of the company’s main clients in Region 10. He also related that September’s salary was subsequently available.

He added that the delays in payment are “never deliberate, neither maliciously done.”
Although the Operation Manager said that the Security Officers were reportedly paid, the security officers are still concerned about having to face the same issue next month.
“The pay from September month we drawing this month, so what happen to this month’s pay? We have to go through the same thing to get that? This is unacceptable,” said Kim Archibald, a Security Officer attached to the company.
Archibald told INFO10 that being paid late by the security firm has become a regular occurrence. She noted that she is a single parent and she also has bills to pay, hence, being paid late is frustrating.
“Majority of the workers here are females and single parents. We cannot be out here working without money to even eat. It is frustrating and this is not the first, second nor third time,” Archibald added.
Meanwhile, Rose called for the Government’s intervention in the matter and asked for the Management of all of the security firms in Guyana to be educated on the Labour Laws of Guyana.