A mediation service for security officers and their bosses to resolve employment-related disputes and workplace grievances was launched yesterday by the Union of Security Employees Singapore (USE) and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).

Run by USE, its aim is to resolve disputes earlier, rather than taking them to the TADM. USE has handled 24 cases since its soft launch on July 2, it said.

In one case, an employee reported that he had not been paid while he was on leave.

The mediator found this was due to a miscommunication between the employer and the firm's human resource department.

The company rectified the situation and accepted USE's suggestion to improve its leave application process .

"USE takes on a lead role to mediate disputes and work out a resolution that is fair to all parties... It will benefit both employers and employees," said USE assistant executive secretary Mohamad Randy at the Security Industry Council's National Day Observance Ceremony yesterday.

"For the company, this is very important because any non-compliance of labour laws would affect them when it comes to the annual Security Agency Grading Exercise."

This grading is done by the Manpower Ministry and the Police Licensing Regulatory Department.

Yesterday, a campaign to promote respect for security officers, titled #hormatsecurity, was also launched. Decals will be placed at security posts to spread the message that abusing security officers may result in prosecution.

Said Security Association of Singapore president Raj Joshua Thomas of security staff: "He is there to do enforcement. He is not there for you to scold or take out your frustrations on."