Namibia: Construction Site Security Guards Entitled to National Minimum Wage - Ministry

What the report says

Namibia’s Ministry of Justice and Labour Relations has said that security guards employed in the construction sector must receive the national minimum wage, even though a recent collective agreement for the industry set a lower pay rate for that job category. The clarification was issued after new minimum wages and employment conditions for construction workers took effect on 1 September, according to the report published by The Namibian and distributed by AllAfrica.

The article says the agreement, concluded between the Construction Industries Federation of Namibia and the Metal and Allied Namibian Workers Union, covers the sector for two years. It sets a lower security guard rate than the national floor, which prompted the ministry to intervene. Acting executive director Aune Ndjandjima said the collective agreement’s security-guard rate is below the separate minimum wage already in force for security workers.

The ministry’s position is that when a collective agreement offers a lower wage than the national minimum, the national standard must prevail. Based on the ministry’s explanation, security guards in construction should therefore be paid at least N$16 per ordinary hour in 2026, rising to N$18 from 1 January 2027. The ministry said it is working to address the mismatch through the proper process, and that employers should not apply the lower rate in the meantime. The issue matters because it affects pay compliance in an important sector and clarifies which labour rule takes precedence.