CAPSI seeks PM's intervention over job losses of security guards

In the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, private security industry body CAPSI has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention over the massive job losses of security guards and asked the government to employ private guards to fight the coronavirus pandemic.

Terming the situation as "disastrous", the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), in its letter to the Prime Minister, has urged him to save the livelihood of lakhs of private security guards who are staring at job losses.

The closure of malls, showrooms, theatres, hotels etc. have led to a situation wherein the clients are asking to remove large number of security guards from their locations leaving only one guard at these sites.

"They (clients) have also made it clear that they will only pay for the drastically reduced strength. Now what happens to the others? Where do the other guards go? Who pays them their salaries for this period," CAPSI Chairman K Vikram Singh said in the letter to the Prime Minister.

Over 23,000 private security agencies employ over 85 lakh security guards across India.

Singh said this situation will have deep impact on the life of security guards and their families as corporates have issued letters of drastic reduction of staff strength from their establishments and have also refused to pay wages for the period of layoff.

Private security industry will now have to pay its workforce without getting paid for by the clients for the duration till normalcy returns.

"We have urged the Prime Minister to direct Employees' State Insurance (ESI), Provident Fund (PF) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) Departments to defer their tax collection dates by giving adequate time so that guards can be paid wages to take care of their families," he added.

The private security industry is one of the largest employment-providing sectors of the nation and is one of the largest contributor of corporate taxes and social security taxes (GST, PF, ESI, Income Tax etc).

These security guards can play an important role in controlling the spread of coronavirus by checking the body temperature of visitors and residents in various locations.

The government can requisite the services of private security guards and pay for the services rendered which will also help them financially in these times of crisis, the body suggested.