The Jamaica Association for Private Security (JAPS) has announced that all registered security firms will start treating their security officers as employees as of April 1, next year.
This decision was made at a “high-level with meeting of three top security personnel in the private security industry,” JAPS, in a statement released on Wednesday morning, adding that “it is now clear that many security firms are willing to do the right thing and honour the Supreme Court ruling which states that Security Officers are employees.”
The statement added that “within days or weeks” each of these security firms will announce their intentions publicly to be compliant with the precedence set by the Supreme Court of Jamaica.
“We at the Jamaica Association for Private Security (JAPS) will welcome and work with the compliant security firms,” the organization added.
It said a deadline will be given to the non-compliant companies “to do the right thing.”
It said that “after decades of mistrust between Security Officers and Security Managers, JAPS believe both sides will have to work together to get everyone on board.”
It said the Private Security Regulation Authority (PSRA) will have to stop giving license to registered firms who don't treat their security officers as employees.
It was on September 23 that the court ruling against Marksman Limited was handed down, making clear that the company’s security guards are in fact employees, something security guards and trade unions have been insisting on for years.
JAPS, in its statement on Wednesday urged Marksman to immediately honour that court directive.
