The Jamaica Association for Private Security, (JAPS), has welcomed the announcement from the labour ministry of its intention to establish a joint industrial council for security guards.

President Teddy Lee Gray said he is also pleased that newly appointed labour minister Pearnel Charles Jnr will soon meet with stakeholders in the private security industry, to discuss their concerns.

Mr Gray expressed hope that the joint council, will be effective, in addressing the concerns of guards.

On Thursday, the labour minister stated that members of the Labour Advisory Council agreed to host a special meeting to discuss a plan of action to establish the Joint Industrial Council for private industrial security guards.

Mr Charles Jnr indicated that security guards concerns should be treated with priority and carefully addressed, to restore normality to the industry.

Following a recent court ruling which stipulated that guards are employees, not contract workers, some security guards have expressed concerns about the contracts they say they were forced to sign which denies them their years of service.