A local security firm that was contracted to provide services to government buildings in Berbice has defended not paying its employees for more than two months, noting that the workers need to submit certain documents before their payments can be processed.
Integrated Security Services (ISS), in a press release issued on Saturday, explained that it began operating in Regions Five and Six on December 1, 2017 – taking over from Home Safe Security Services.
ISS explained that management decided to retain all the security guards who were employed with the previous firm and that by mid-December, all of the employees were paid despite the absence of certain requisite documents such as TIN number, ID cards and NIS number.
“Management went at lengths to explain that it needs more than just names to pay and was firm that the system of paying without verification was only facilitated in December in consideration of the season,” ISS stated.
ISS said management spoke to supervisors of the various sub-offices in Regions Five and Six and expressed the concerns that it experienced.
“One of the Supervisors in Region Five, Curtland Sobers, explained that the security officers were complaining about having to provide TIN number, ID card and NIS number,” ISS stated.
The Security Firm noted that all the employees whose files have been completed have been paid.
ISS said as recent as Thursday, Sobers brought some more verification documents and they are being processed and those persons will be paid within a few days.
ISS noted too that the majority of workers in Region Six have been paid.
On Thursday last, a meeting was held with some of the workers where management called the name of the persons who still need to submit their information but there were objections.
“As soon as the first name was called, one female worker began venting her frustration about not being paid. The young lady explained that she has her family to take care of. It was explained to her that deductions are being made to her salary for NIS and that it is illegal not to pay NIS. The entity also told her that in order to send her payment into NIS; the company has to get her NIS number etc. It was also explained to her that the company has to send in an entire schedule as NIS does not accept scattered information and those who are still to submit their information are holding up the process,” ISS explained.
ISS said it is becoming frustrated with the noncooperation of the workers it inherited.
