Unfair tender clauses hurt sector, says security body

Incidents of security guards being abused make headlines and spark public furore, but discriminatory clauses in service agreements are more harmful to the private security industry.

That is because the clauses point to a systemic problem, said Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, president of the Security Association Singapore (SAS), the umbrella body that represents the sector.

Examples of discriminatory clauses include those that specify age limits or allow officers to be sacked without good reason or avenues of appeal, said Mr Thomas, who was speaking yesterday at an annual awards ceremony to recognise exemplary security officers.

He said: "Such clauses in service agreements are negotiated and agreed by the service buyer and the security agency, but affect the security officer."

He added that SAS recently received notice of another tender that included a clause stipulating a maximum age for security officers.

"What I shall share at this time is that this managing agent is a repeat offender," he said.

SAS has not named the managing agent as it is still verifying the latest tender, Mr Thomas, who is also a Nominated MP, told The Straits Times.

At the event, 150 awards were presented, with the top plaudits reserved for five officers who showed exceptional performance and dedication to their role.

Ms Geethaa Nalatamby and Mr Bharat Kumar Kanabathy received the Security Officer of The Year award, while Mr Pravin Manimaran, Mr Sures Perumal and Mr Neo Ah Whatt received the SAS President's Medal for Professionalism.

Ms Geethaa, a 29-year-old Malaysian working for Certis, was lauded for comforting a distraught patron she stumbled on in January while patrolling IMM mall, her workplace for the last six years.

She said: "She was sitting on a ledge on the fourth floor at a carpark staircase. I approached her calmly, and gently grasped her hand... and spoke to her for 10 to 15 minutes.

"I was focused on getting her to come down from the ledge first," she said, adding that she called her superiors, who informed the police and mall management, after.

Meanwhile, Mr Neo, 63, whose efforts to deter a white Bentley from entering Red Swastika School against the flow of traffic in January were cited for his award, had a tip for fellow security officers.

Speaking in Mandarin, he said: "We are just doing our job, and enforcing the rules... so stay calm. If a member of the public gets agitated, just inform your superiors and don't get emotional."

Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence Zaqy Mohamad, who spoke at the event, commended SAS for highlighting contractual agreements that are unfair to both security officers and agencies.

Mr Zaqy said the security sector has a constant demand for manpower.

There are initiatives in place to improve wages, well-being and productivity, he said, with more than 40,000 security officers benefiting from the Progressive Wage Model (PWM), introduced in 2016 for the security sector.

The PWM will cover in-house security officers from September.

"Our security officers keep us safe day in, day out and deserve our support and recognition for their commitment and professionalism," he said.