Portia condemns colour discrimination

The Opposition Leader Portia Simpson Miller has called for the Government to investigate reports of discrimination in some Jamaican firms against job seekers who are of dark complexion. According to Simpson Miller the companies engaging in such practices are to be condemned. A Sunday Gleaner exclusive published yesterday highlighted that many entrepreneurs and human resource executives have been requesting that the HEART Trust/NTA send only light-complexioned personnel for job-training at their firms. But according to Simpson Miller the stance of those firms is offensive and should be resisted. Simpson Miller says the matter should get priority attention from the Government. She also says the decision by some companies to request brown-complexioned employees may be fueling Jamaica’s problem of skin bleaching as people position themselves to get certain opportunities. The Sunday Gleaner probe revealed that in most cases, the firms were requesting people of light complexion for front-desk duties, claiming they were the face of the company.