The evolution of the Shipping Association of Jamaica
JANUARY 2, 1939, stands out as a decisive moment when a small cohort of forward-thinking businessmen orchestrated the birth of the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ). Registered as a trade union on January 27 of that year, the SAJ was formed as a response to the uncertainties and disruptions on the Kingston waterfront. Unlike its predecessors, the SAJ emerged not simply as an association but as an impactful force, reforming the landscape of labour relations and port management in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
In its infancy, the SAJ articulated a clear set of goals aiming to improve employment conditions, establish uniform labour rates on wharves and ships, ensure fair and reasonable compensation, and guarantee fair day’s work for fair pay. However, beneath these objectives was a more meaningful goal – a concerted effort to address the challenges that had paralysed the waterfront in the previous year.
The turbulent events of May 1938, marked by worker protests and a city brought to a standstill, compelled the SAJ’s formation. The industrial unrest prompted negotiations with Alexander Bustamante, but the desired improvements remained elusive. By the year’s end, three city wharves stood closed as workers, heeding Bustamante’s call, initiated a solidarity strike in response to the mistreatment of a union official in Montego Bay in December 1938.
The SAJ’s genesis in 1938 marked
a watershed moment within the intense activities of the time. Alongside the formation of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) in May and the People’s National Party (PNP) in September,
the SAJ represented the first joint response of business interests to the changes in the Jamaican industrial climate.
As the unions and workers adapted to this new landscape, the SAJ spearheaded a rational and joint approach that would culminate in a model partnership on the Kingston waterfront. By the close of the century, the industrial climate at Kingston’s waterfront was hailed as among the best globally, with port workers enjoying wages and benefits at the upper end of the local workforce.
Beyond its role as a bargaining agent, the SAJ assumed multiple roles, becoming the sole employer of waterfront labour, operator of security services, provider of computer services for the wharves, a port development planner, landlord for support service firms, and a representative of agents, stevedoring companies, and other interests.
This organisational development turned the SAJ into an energetic operational and commercial entity, strongly advocating for its members and developing considerable influence in the management of the Port of Kingston. The effectiveness of this model contributed significantly to the growth of the port and served as a blueprint for other ports facing similar challenges.
The SAJ, with its roots in uncertainty and upheaval, is proof of adaptation and visionary leadership. Its journey from a response to industrial challenges to a means for positive change remains a source of inspiration for the ever-changing maritime industry.