ASSOCIATION NEWS

Update from SASA

This last month has been quite exciting! Here’s what’s been happening within the industry as well as SASA.

From the desk of Tony Botes, SASA National Administrator.

National Bargaining Council for the Private Security Sector (NBCPSS)

The National Bargaining Council has begun the verification process to determine the seat allocation for both Organised Employers and Organised Labour.

SASA is pleased to confirm that our current 69 member companies collectively employ very close to 100,000 security officers and support staff: we are growing from strength to strength!

We are confident that SASA will continue playing a positive role in the NBCPSS, as we have since its inception, even though it is expected that a third employers organisation will be joining the Council. The three organisations will share twelve seats on the board of the Council.

The trade unions, more than twenty in total, are also busy submitting their membership numbers and, as per the NBCPSS constitution, will continue to share their twelve seats on the Board.

NBCPSS Exemption

The private security industry, like the rest of the country, has been experiencing serious challenges with regard to Covid-19: losses or reductions of contracts, unprecedented mass retrenchments and seriously increased costs. Client resistance to the March 2021 statutory increases has also been a major challenge.

SASA and SANSEA (South African National Security Employers’ Association) applied for a partial exemption on the increases that became effective on 1 March 2021. After successful consultations with organised labour, we reached an agreement, which resulted in a positive outcome from the external independent NBCPSS Exemption Appeals Committee:

• The Security Officer Premium Allowance increase from R175 to R270 was deferred for 12 months; and

• The PSSPF (Private Security Sector

Provident Fund) has been requested by organised employers and organised labour to apply for a change in their rules, reducing the employer/employee contributions from 7.5% each to 5% for a period of 12 months. This is expected to be approved shortly.

This process was, to say the least, extensive and expensive. It included consultations with senior counsel and an extremely detailed economic report on the status of the country and the private security sector itself. SASA has borne their share of the costs of the application out of its reserves so it wasn’t necessary to raise any special levies from our members.

It must be stressed that this exemption will, at this stage, only apply to members of the abovementioned associations who are, and remain, compliant with all statutory legislation and, if NBCPSS agents (inspectors) identify non-compliance, those security service providers will lose the benefit of the exemption.

Non-members of the associations also have this right to apply for identical, or other, exemptions, but will have to follow the long, involved and expensive processes required, which include consultations with their employees or representative trade unions.

International reciprocal agreements

International reciprocal agreements have been finalised with:

• SAN – Security Association of Namibia, and

• CAPSI – Central Association of Private Security Industry of India

The formal signing of the reciprocal agreement with CAPSI was quite an event and took place via a large Teams meeting on 30 April 2021! SASA was represented by our office bearers, the National President, National Chairperson, National Deputy Chairperson and the National Administrator. CAPSI attendance was close to sixty, which included representatives from their National Committee, various regions and specialised subcommittees.

We express our deepest condolences to India, which is experiencing unprecedented Covid-19 infections and deaths and wish the country and its people a speedy recovery.

The details of these two associations have been loaded onto our website and we hope to be able to add a number of additional reciprocal agreements with associations around the world. While legislation may differ from one country to another, we all face common challenges, including the battle against Covid-19.

PSIRA Fees

PSIRA gazetted their annual and administrative fees with effect from 1 April 2021. These increases are significantly higher than CPI (Consumer Price Index) and we are concerned that many of our members won’t be able to absorb the increased financial burden.

Accordingly, SASA and SANSEA have been involved in intensive discussions with PSIRA, which have already been very fruitful. The interaction is ongoing, with both sides keen to resolve the matter without protracted, expensive litigation. We (SASA and SANSEA) have been invited to work on a solution to make the increases more equitable, without seriously affecting the revenue required by PSIRA to meet their statutory obligations and mandate. We are extremely positive that this matter will be resolved soon and SASA will communicate the outcome to its members once finalised.

In the meantime, SASA urges its members to pay the increased fees ‘under protest’, which will mean that, if the fee structure exercise is positive, PSIRA will be requested to refund any excessive amounts paid by the relevant security companies.

We must stress that the efforts and expenses incurred in this exercise will, if successful, benefit the entire private security industry, including security officers and not just our members.

Benefits of SASA membership:

• A strictly applied Code of Ethics

• Representation at national and local government level

• Industry exposure in the media as well as at major shows and exhibitions

• Contacts and networking opportunities

• Discounted training courses, events and seminars

• Access to a security library managed by UNISA (University of South Africa)

• Updates on new legislation and other industry-relevant information

• Access to security-related and affiliated associations in South Africa and overseas

• The SASA national website

• A central administration office

• Free digital subscription to Security Focus Africa magazine, the official journal of SASA • A mentorship programme which is designed to guide and assist start-up security companies with attaining the compliance standards required to qualify for Gold Membership

For more information about what SASA does and how it can help you and your company, please contact:

Tony Botes, SASA National Administrator, at:

Tel: 0861 100 680 / 083 650 4981

Cell: 083 272 1373

Email: info@sasecurity.co.za / tony@sasecurity.co.za

Website: www.sasecurity.co.za