With reports of a large number of private companies, cinema halls and hotels terminating private security guards or keeping skeletal staff, the government has written to several industry bodies associated with private security asking them to adopt a “humane approach” and protect its workers amid layoffs during the lockdown across the country.
The ministry of home affairs wrote to the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) , Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), International Institute of Security and Safety Management (IISSM) and Security Association of India (SAI).
PC Guite, deputy secretary, said in his letter on March 23 to these bodies that the private security agencies may have been hit after malls, shops and other such establishments were closed.
“I would, therefore, urge the industry for empathy with its workforce, vital to its functioning and ensure that these workers continued to be treated on duty and paid accordingly,” Guite said.
CAPSI chairperson Kunwar Vikram Singh had shot off a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard, saying it would be unethical on part of private companies to lay off their security guards hired through private security agencies as it may lead up to the tremendous amount of restlessness and frustration.
“Despite notifications and guidelines issued by the home ministry and department of labour, security guards are being terminated. For example, if a mall had 200 guards, they are now just keeping five to six for outer periphery security,” Singh said while speaking to HT.
“The security providing companies are being threatened that if they will terminate the contract with them if they don’t listen and remove them. But these guards need to run their households. Private security agencies cannot take the burden alone,” he said.
“Subsequently, the police are stopping the guards if they aren’t in uniform. A guard usually goes to his duty in civilian clothes. They are facing a lot of harassment,” added Singh.
India has been put under a 21-day complete lockdown across the country to stop the deadly coronavirus from spreading and closed down several public and private organisations. Among them are commercial, industrial and private establishments with certain exemptions.
Private security agencies have been exempted but with the closure of malls, shops and other places where private security is deployed, several people have been asked to stay home or even fired.
The government has made several such requests to companies to continue paying their staff throughout the lockdown period.
Sandeep Kumar, a security guard who was deployed in a mall in Ghaziabad, said he has been lucky so far.
“I am still here but a lot of my colleagues have been removed from the job for now without pay. I don’t know when will this end. I cannot go to my home in Allahabad also because there are no trains or buses,” Kumar said while speaking to HT.
According to FICCI, there are around 8.9 million private security guards in India managed by over 22000 private security agencies who are engaged in a range of public or private sector entities and residential complexes.
