No gov’t policy to ban night work by single mother guards

Government yesterday announced that it has implemented no policy to ban single mothers working as security guards from being placed on night shifts, and according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon there has been “no debate on the matter” by Cabinet. The announcement, which was made by Harmon during his post-Cabinet press conference and later in a statement released by his office, is in direct contrast to a statement issued earlier this week by Minister within the Ministry of Social Protection Keith Scott, who said that the ministry had no intention of relenting on its move to eliminate night work for single mothers within the private security industry. Scott’s announcement has been met with severe criticism by many persons, including coordinator of Red Thread, Karen de Souza, the Guyana Association of Private Security Organisations (GAPSO), and more recently, the women’s arm of the opposition PPP, the Women’s Progressive Organisation (WPO). “…As far as the government is concerned, we have had no debate on the matter. The senior Minister of Social Protection, in that regard, would have to bring a paper to Cabinet and Cabinet will have to debate it. Until such time that that occurs the situation remains as it is, and that is to say that women will continue to work either day or night and there is no restriction on them,” a statement from Harmon’s office quoted him as saying.