100 Nepali security guards sacked amid strike for wage increase

About 100 Nepali security guards have been sacked since a strike began on Monday over more pay and better fringe benefits.

Group 4 Securicor (G4S), the biggest provider of security services in Hong Kong, blamed a reduction in business, saying tens of customers had terminated deals with it in light of the action, which was in its fourth day yesterday.

Ken May, regional managing director of G4S Security Services, said: 'The guarding service is a very competitive and dynamic trade. Customers may put up with having no guards on their doorsteps for a few days, but after that they will move on. It is not like they don't have other choices.'

Li Hoi of the Confederation of Trade Unions, which has been helping the guards, said the sackings were not in line with the company's previous practice upon losing contracts.

'Contracts come and go in this industry and we accepted the strike might indeed cost some temporary jobs. However, a lot of those sacked were full-time permanent guards. They [usually] don't just lose their jobs when a contract is out.'

Mr Li said the usual practice was to transfer these guards to other posts, or the workers would agree to be suspended for a period of time until the firm found them another post.

Prasad Bhim Sunwar, a full-time G4S guard for nine years, said he was shocked when he received his redundancy letter yesterday.