In yet another case of mistreatment of the security guards employed at high-rises, as many as 25 guards of VVIP Addresses in Rajnagar Extension have alleged that they were suddenly sacked at the start of this month.
The guards also alleged that the management hasn’t even paid them for the month of December. A few even claimed that they haven’t been paid for November also. Fed up with this attitude, the guards called police on Friday after constantly approaching the management to clear their dues.
"On January 3, when we reported to work, we were told that our entry inside the society has been barred. Also, we have been replaced with other guards,” said Gaurav Kumar, who was working as security supervisor for the past three years in the society.
Since then, the guards said that they have been running after the management office to get their dues cleared.
When City Spidey reached out to the security staff presently employed in the society, it was told that their dues will be cleared by Friday only. “We hadn’t asked them to leave. They left work on their own," said Deepak Rawat, general manager of Striker, the agency who looks after the security services for the society.
However, the guards had a different story to tell. The guards alleged that on January 1, a verbal altercation had happened between a guard on the morning duty and a security officer, which led to their termination.
“I was working on gate 1 and at around 4 pm, I told security officer Soni Vishal that I’m going to have lunch. He did not allow me and instead started abusing me, saying I'm not paid to waste my time on lunch. He even threatened me that if I go for lunch, then he will cancel my attendance for the day," said 26-year-old guard, Rajan Tyagi.
"In my 12-hour shift, I didn't even have lunch that day,” he added.
Tyagi said that the harassment continued the next day also. “Next day, I was shifted from gate to gate for various jobs without any break. When we registered our displeasure to the security management, we were told to quit."
The guards also alleged that arbitrary deductions have been made in their salaries in the past. "The agency deducted Rs 2,000 as the cost of uniform from the salary, instead of Rs 700 which was told earlier. In a salary of Rs 10,000, I can't afford such expensive uniform. I have a family of five to take care of." said 42-year-old Noor Mohammad.
However, Rawat denied all this. He said that Rs 700 was the cost of shirt and trousers but with jacket, shoes and cap, the amount added up to Rs 2,050.
Mohammad further alleged that instead of Rs 12,000, which were to be paid for the months of November and December, he got just Rs 5,500.
Striker took charge of the security of VVIP society in November. Earlier, security agency of the developer looked after the security of the society.
