Dear Claudienne

I am a security guard and I am having some serious problems with Guardsman Limited and am asking if you can assist me and the rest of the guards.

Every fortnight they deduct National Housing Trust (NHT) from our salary and when we go to the NHT for the refund, they say that the company did not pay over the money. This is foolishness.

We have no one to talk to at the company. Also, there are lots of guards who pay insurance and loans through salary deductions and all the time their loans are in arrears because the money is not being sent to the loan companies on time.

Imagine you deduct my money and keep it for four months before sending my payment to the loan company.

So what you expect? My loan will go into arrears. Also, imagine this, you pay insurance premiums through salary deductions and when you go to the company to make a claim you learn that the policy has lapsed because for four months Guardsman had not paid over the money to the insurance company.

XX

Dear XX

After speaking with you,

Tell Claudienne contacted Guardsman.

The company asked for specific information as they said they wanted to contact you and get the details in regard to your payroll deduction problems.

However, Tell Claudienne told Guardsman that you had requested to remain annonymous.

Tell Claudienne received a statement from Guardsman on Wednesday February 5, via e-mail that reads as follows: “Thank you for your e-mail and contacting our company.

We have noted with concern the allegations regarding the withholding of security guards’ deductions, which we are currently investigating.

As you will appreciate, the service of deducting and paying over monies to various institutions on behalf of thousands of security guards requires extensive administrative and human resource support.

This is a service that our guard companies provide without any related costs.

The details provided in the complaint are not the norm and we would require details of the particular case in order to investigate.

There may have been a delay, and we would have to determine the possible cause and at what point the delay occurred, as the guard companies pay over the deductions to the relevant institutions within a reasonable time.

The welfare of our security guards is of paramount importance and their concerns are being addressed.

As such, we invite any security guard who is having a challenge to get in touch with our office at 876-930-3591 /876- 820-6949 where our human resource/ payroll representatives have been tasked to handle these concerns.”

Respectfully yours, Guardsman Group of Companies. Please contact the company.

We wish you all the best. Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 876-936- 9436 or cell 876-484-1349 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver. com. Please include a contact phone number.