KINGSTON, Jamaica — Scores of placard-bearing response officers employed to KingAlarm are currently protesting varying concerns outside the Kingston head office.

The officers said they are protesting concerns regarding salary, overtime, work environment, and victimisation from management.

Speaking with Observer Online one of the officers shared, “I was removed from team leader last week without a meeting from management — no reason at all because I was told I am a member of the general union so I was removed from team leader along with other persons.”

Noting a 10 per cent wage increase which came into effect on June 1, he said, “I didn’t receive any increase. I didn’t get any indication from management why I didn’t get the increase, I didn’t get any.”

One of the main concerns of the protestors includes being asked to do cash in transit assignments in soft skin vehicles which they claim is outside of their job description.

“We are being overworked and being forced to do courier service, pick up money, in soft skin vehicle. Two personnel, pick up money and we are being paid as a response officer, not courier. We’re not insured to pick up money, the vehicle we are driving not insured to pick up money also, and when we do not, they send us home without pay,” he explained.

In responding to the allegations, Senior Operations Manager at KingAlarm Services Limited Delano Virgo said the company was surprised by Monday morning’s protest.

“Prior to June 1 even without a wage increase none of them would have been below the minimum wage. The company took a decision to increase their wages effective June 1 and the increases range from 10 per cent to a high of about 40/42 per cent so we’re a bit surprised by their actions this morning,” Virgo said.

He noted that in regards to claims about being asked to do cash in transit assignments in soft skin vehicles, it is not a common request by the company.

“That again has to be put in perspective. We have a fleet of armoured vehicles that are used to do cash in transit assignments. That said, I am not going to say there may not be a one-off occasion where a soft skin vehicle is used to pick up an assignment but for the major part of our operations we use our armoured units,” Virgo said.

Virgo noted that the protestors were invited to a meeting on Monday to address their concerns, to which, he said, they declined. However, the officers denied that they refused to meet with officials.

“They called us to come to a meeting, we say no we’re not coming to a meeting, we’re protesting today so a meeting would be later, not today. We are protesting for what had happened…We are free to meet with you after today but today is protesting. We’re not refusing a meeting,” he said.

The senior operations manager said the company is still prepared to meet with the officers on a one-on-one basis to examine their concerns to see how best the matters can be resolved.

King Alarm has over 5,000 security officers along with other employees.