Union launches app for security officers to report abuse, work grievances

SINGAPORE — The Union of Security Employees (USE) has launched a mobile application for security officers to report abuse or work-related grievances.

This was announced along with the results of a survey on the welfare of private security officers, which found that more than one in two officers reported feeling nervous and stressed at work.

USE said that the free mobile app lets security officers report “any work-related issues and grievances anytime and anywhere”.

“While the survey showed that security officers generally know who or where to seek help from when they face abuse at work, more can be done to expedite the process and enable neutral, third-party bodies to help investigate and mediate the case at hand,” said a statement from USE and the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC).

USE said that registered users of the app can key in details of the case or issue, including location and photos. The cases submitted via the app will be routed to the USE Mediation Service for follow-up. 

Users may also check back on the status of their submissions via the app and be kept updated on industry and union-related news.

39 PER CENT FACED ABUSE AT WORK

The third instalment of a longitudinal survey by USE and the Singapore University of Social Sciences found that the welfare of security officers continued to be "of concern”, particularly in the areas of mental well-being and abuse.

Questions relating to work stress were included in the survey for the first time, and more than one in two officers reported feeling nervous and stressed at work.

Similar to the first two surveys, a substantial proportion of officers (39 per cent) reported having faced abuse at work. 

This is slightly lower than the 42 per cent reported in the last survey, but higher than the 32 per cent in the first survey. The majority of abuse reported was verbal abuse.

The frequency of abuse has also risen, with almost 40 per cent — up from 30 per cent — of those who reported verbal abuse stating that they experienced verbal abuse at least once every two weeks.

The survey also found that older officers suffered more abuse than younger officers.

At least 40 per cent of security officers aged 50 and above reported facing abuse at work, while 26 per cent of those aged up to 29 years reported the same.

LARGE PROPORTION OF ABUSE FROM PUBLIC

More than 40 per cent of the abuse culprits came from the general public.

Mr Raymond Chin, USE's general secretary, said: “USE is concerned that security officers continue to be abused while doing their jobs as provided for under the law.

"We urge the general public to recognise the important work of our security officers as front-line warriors protecting property and lives, and cooperate with them when required." 

The survey covered other aspects of security officers' work, such as their wages and work prospects.

USE said that wages remained steady in the sector, and met Progressive Wage Model benchmarks across all levels. 

The Progressive Wage Model sets out minimum pay requirements for workers with different skill levels and mandates wage increases in tandem with the workers’ training and skills.

More than six in 10 security officers surveyed said that they were compensated fairly for their work and were expecting a median wage increase of about S$150 next year. More than eight in 10 said that they were satisfied with the profession. 

The use of technology continues to remain high (about 90 per cent), and more than six in 10 have the intention to learn new skills in the next six months, based on the survey's findings.

The survey was carried out from July to September, garnering responses from 1,000 security officers. CNA

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