30% OF SECURITY GUARDS STILL EARNING BELOW $1,100 MONTHLY SALARY

35% of security officers yet to attend required training

I refer to the article “35% of security officers yet to attend required skills training” (Channel NewsAsia, Mar 11).

It states that “While new licensing requirements for the security sector will kick in at the start of September, about 15,000 active security officers, or 35 per cent of the industry, have not been trained in line with requirements.

To date, about 180 security agencies, or 70 per cent, of all such agencies have started doing so.

By Sep 1, agencies must ensure their security officers complete the required training under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications framework for Security. Security officers should also be paid wages that are in line with or higher than levels specified in the Progressive Wage Model.

$1,100 salary after required training?

For example, under the model, security officers should get a basic monthly pay of S$1,100 or more, after completing certain training modules on topics such as handling security incidents.”

Basic median salary still only $857?

After all these years of rhetoric and initiatives to increase the pay of security guards – according to the Ministry of Manpower’s wages benchmarking tool – their median basic salary is still only $857.

30% still not getting higher wages?

As to “Around 70 per cent of local security officers are already enjoying higher wages and better skills training, half a year before all security firms here are required to roll out these benefits” (:7 in 10 security officers getting better pay, training“, Straits Times, Mar 12) – does it mean that around 30 per cent are still not getting “higher wages”?

Breakdown into S’poreans, PRs& foreigners?

With regard to “All 250 security agencies – comprising some 33,000 security officers who are Singaporeans or permanent residents – have to adopt the progressive wage model by Sept 1, or risk losing their licences”– how many of these 33,000 security officers are Singaporeans?

How many security officers are foreigners?

To what extent has the majority of security officers being non-Singaporeans contributed to their low pay?

LeongSzeHian