- Guards walked out last week over wage dispute, police on stand-by
SECURITY staff guarding the Asylum Seekers Accommodation Centre in Penally have told The Pembrokeshire Herald they have not been paid regularly or on-time.
They claim their managers have been putting profit before safety.
One shocking revelation is that those tasked with ensuring the safety of asylum seekers have been told to ‘toss any weapons found, such as knives over the fence’.
The company in charge, AK security, does not want any complications which could jeopardise its contract with the Home Office, it seems.
One security guard provided The Herald with a recording of what he says is a telephone conversation between the managing director of AK Security and himself.
In the phone call, the security guard is apparently threatened after asking for £1,000 in unpaid wages.
AK Security managing director Ali Mohammed Khan is heard in the recording of a mobile telephone conversation.
Mr Khan says: “If you show up again, I promise you I am going to do something.
“And trust me you don’t want me to do it. I do not like threatening people, but I am not a kid my friend. You’re a boy, listen to me innit – you don’t want me to do it.”
In the phone call with AK Security’s MD, the security worker is heard politely asking for his pay to which Khan replies: “Do you understand English? Are you thick in your head? Do you have a brain? Do you know how the bank system works? I am a company.
“When companies do transfers it isn’t done within minutes. It’s coming from the company account…. It takes three working days for your payment to come through. I told you yesterday that within three working days the money will be in your account.”
A previous payment had been made instantly. The worker consequently questioned the 3-day transfer – normally reserved for substantial companies who pay using the now-outdated BACS system.
The guard questions Khan again saying: “How is it you paid me alright on Sunday, but it is taking forever now?”
Kahn answers: “The last payment was done differently – why are you asking so many questions. The payment has been done. I am not a guy who is going to run away with someone else’s money – I am bigger than that!”
Other security guards told this newspaper they were instructed to throw any weapons they found at the camp ‘over the wall’ and not to report the weapons’ presence at the Camp.
The reason given for this was to prevent AK Security from losing their contract with the Home Office to guard the asylum seekers in Penally.
Police were put on standby on Tuesday night (Nov 17), after reports security staff had walked out in protest over non-payment of wages.
The Tenby Observer reported: “[Because] they had not received any wages from their employers at the firm ‘AK Security’, the staff ‘downed tools’ and refused to work, standing outside the gates for a period of time on Tuesday night, with one eye-witness stating that police officers were also on hand to monitor the situation.’
Since the Home Office repurposed Penally Camp almost two months ago, the facility has been dogged by controversy and unrest. The facility currently houses around 170 asylum seekers, with scope for that to increase to 234.
This week’s incident is the latest in a string of controversial events surrounding AK Security.
The firm, whose base is in London, has been contacted by The Pembrokeshire Herald to respond to this article’s content.
The Herald also contacted the Home Office regarding the serious allegations.
As we went to press, neither the Home Office nor AK Security had responded to our invitation.
