Small security companies should do right by security guards
Published:Thursday | May 4, 2023 | 12:23 AM
THE EDITOR, Madam:
I write in response to an article in the Jamaica Observer titled, ‘Guard poaching affecting smaller security companies - owner’. According to the Private Security Regulation Authority’s (PSRA’s) website, Jamaica has over 300 registered security companies. Maybe 50 per cent are directly involved in guard services. I am a capitalist but the reality is that some companies, as of April 1, will swim while some will drown. Some of the smaller companies are only competitive. They pay below the minimum wage or refuse to turn their security guards into employees.
Some of these smaller companies will, however, have to become compliant or they will be out of business.
The Jamaica Association for Private Security (JAPS) has written to the Ministry of Labour about companies that are currently paying below the minimum wage, and I trust this will be addressed once and for all. We also believe the PSRA needs to do more with regard to enforcement and hefty fines. We support the security guards for moving to the compliant companies. Some of these small companies should do the right thing and stop coming to the media with anonymity and playing victim when security guards are the actual victims.
TEDDYLEE GRAY
JAPS PRESIDENT