Guarding is more than many people think

"On Guard Day on June 15, we want to make people aware that guarding is so much more than just standing around. For example, many do not know that the company fire brigade in large companies is also part of the security industry," explains Gernot Kopp, who represents the interests of employees in the security sector as chairman of the vida building management department . "Security guards are deployed in shopping centres, on large company premises and on construction sites, for example, and need both know-how and a cool head for their activities. They work where there is either not a soul outside of them or where crowds of people gather. They maintain concentration for hours in order to be able to react quickly exactly when things get dicey," Kopp continues. They are indispensable for general safety, and their working conditions in the industry often leave much to be desired in his experience. 

The security industry in numbers

Throughout Austria, private security services employ around 12,700 employees per year. If you count short-term employees at events, the figure is even up to 16,000. Most of them work in the eastern federal states. With 5,000 employees and just under 40 percent, the vast majority of security forces are employed in Vienna. But the industry also has a relatively large number of employees in Lower Austria (17 percent), Styria (12 percent) and Upper Austria (10 percent).

Trade union vida demands protection for those who protect us

"A general problem in security is lone services, which are unfortunately widespread and pose a risk to employees. If it becomes dangerous, one person is not enough to protect other people, the object to be guarded and, above all, oneself," explains Gernot Kopp. Therefore, at least two people per mission and more training are needed to be able to ensure the safety of all of us. "Some guards are also assigned tasks that have nothing to do with security services," says the vida trade unionist. This not only leads to them feeling exploited, but also impairs them in their actual task: the protection of people and property.

Demands of the trade union vida:

1.    Statutory minimum education within the framework of basic school education

2.    No Solo Services

3.    Better pay at night

4.    Working hours that can be reconciled with family and private life

5.    Ongoing follow-up training in fire protection, first aid, de-escalation

6.    Clear demarcation between state and private fields of activity

7.    Contracts awarded according to the best bidder, no subcontractors

8.    Visibility of security personnel

9.    Restriction to activities that serve to secure persons and objects

10.  Respect and appreciation for guards