Nearly three months after the Prime Minister announced the Government would start directly employing security guards at managed isolation facilities, not a single guard has been employed.
By Andrew Hallberg
In August Jacinda Ardern said that private security contractors would be phased out and replaced by guards employed directly by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
When asked about the number of guards employed, MBIE said in a statement it “has contracts with six security companies, with 266 personnel across 32 managed isolation and quarantine facilities.”
Instead of directly employing guards, the Ministry is choosing to focus on increasing technology security solutions like CCTV and alarms on doors, saying in a later statement that “direct employment of security guards will be a key area of focus as these solutions come online”.
The New Zealand Security Association says that the scaling back of private contractors has not happened and there are now in fact additional staff contracted.
And it seems no one has told the Prime Minister.
Jacinda Ardern said today that “we are moving towards making sure we are centrally contracting those who are providing services for us.”
National’s leader Judith Collins said “nothing’s been done and that smacks of complacency”.
Etū, which represents security guards at managed isolation and quarantine facilities, says it wasn’t surprised that no guards had been directly employed.
Mat Danaher, Etū union team leader, says whoever employs them needs to ensure they’re paid a living wage, have enough sick leave and only have them working on one site.
“Isolation facilities are the front line if Covid-19 is going to get back into our community it will be through these facilities and the role all of the workers play is crucial to preventing that.”
The NZ Security Association says that a lack of recent reported incidents suggests private guards are operating at a high standard.
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