Unpaid security guards plan picket at airports amid salary disputes

IOL News

08-07-2025

Passengers at OR Tambo International Airport experienced chaos on Tuesday as they faced significant delays at security checkpoints, prompting widespread frustration and confusion. However, the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA) has categorically denied claims that these disruptions were linked to the non-payment of security contractors.
Image: File
Scores of security guards previously employed by Venus International Security to man some of the country's airports have threatened to picket at the affected airports after they were not paid their June salaries and severance packages by the security company, which was contracted by the Airports Company of South Africa (ACSA).
This comes as ACSA has denied that the long lines at some of its airports, including at the OR Tambo International Airport this week, were caused by the non-payment of security contractors.
It is reported that more than 200 former Venus International Security guards, who also now find themselves without jobs in Bloemfontein, Upington, and Kimberly, have also not been considered for the insourcing process currently undertaken by the airports company, leaving many of them disillusioned.
On Tuesday, passengers at OR Tambo International Airport faced significant delays reportedly due to what ACSA described as operational disruptions at airport security checkpoints.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
However, according to the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), in the Northern Cape the failure by Venus to address the matter while removing its assets at four major airports, including the Kimberly, Upington, and Bloemfontein, while workers' salaries have not been paid is deeply concerning, which is why the union has written to ACSA to resolve the matter.
"It has come to our attention that Venus is busy removing all company belongings from all ACSA properties. The company is doing this firstly without making sure workers have been paid what is owed to them.
"As Numsa, we are going to take the following steps if monies are not released before the close of business. We are going to picket at all airports in Kimberly, Bloemfontein, and Upington. We will also urgently interdict everything, including Venus's bank accounts. ACSA is Cced above to rebut these claims," said Numsa regional representative, Elliot Mohatlhane, on Sunday.
Mohatlhane has also slammed Venus for its failure to pay workers what is due to them, saying:" If all our engagements with ACSA and Venus fail, we will be forced to picket at some of the airports as ACSA has also failed to insource our workers who are already familiar with the aviation industry," he said.
Machine Hlongwane and Hendrick Kekana, from Venus International Security, blamed ACSA for the non-payment of their workers following an unfulfilled promise by the airports company.
"Venus International is unable to pay salaries for June 2025. This is because ACSA had promised to pay Venus a specific settlement amount on 30 June 2025. ⁠We are still waiting for ACSA to make good on its promise. ⁠Whereafter, we will pass the amounts due to our former employees. We urge workers to be patient while we are still waiting for ACSA to keep the promise made to Venus," Kekana said.
A Venus employee, who did not want to be named, revealed that the alleged non-payment by ACSA has affected their livelihoods, adding that the insourcing of workers has not been fair, as most of them were not considered.
"We don't know where the problem lies because we, as Venus employees, were notified that the contract is coming to an end on the 30th of June 2025 between ACSA and Venus. We were supposed to receive our June salaries from our employer, but we don't know why at this stage we didn't get our salaries, and no one is talking to us about why we didn't get our salaries," he said.
With the termination of the Venus contract, ACSA said it considers the Venus matter closed as their agreement has come to an end, as the insourcing of employees gets under way.
"The operational challenges encountered on Tuesday, 1 July 2025, at OR Tambo International Airport are not related to the alleged non-payment of contractors by ACSA. Venus International is a recognised contractor with ACSA, with whom our contractual relationship ended on 30 June 2025.
"Annual increments that accrued to Venus International at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic were due to the service provider, and following extensive mediated talks, the two contracting parties settled. We now consider that matter closed as ACSA is implementing a new sourcing strategy at all ACSA Airports," the entity stated.
[e-mail]