About A J Barned and Sons Limited In Kingston Jamaica
Formed in 1939, the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) is registered under the Trade Union Act of Jamaica and is a service provider to the Ports as well as a member-based organisation of terminal operators, stevedoring contractors and shipping agents, the latter of which are the marketing and logistics representatives of shipping lines in Jamaica.
The SAJ was founded against the backdrop of Jamaica’s labour upheaval in the 1930s by a small group of businessmen as a labour hire organization. Since then, membership has grown steadily and the association now represents seventy-eight (78) businesses.
The association works closely with Government agencies and the private sector to promote sustainability and growth in the shipping industry. The SAJ promotes initiatives to advance the interests of its members, employees and staff as well as delivers training programmes for industry members. It promotes a high standard of industrial relations in the shipping industry through the Joint Industrial Council established in 1952.
True to the core of its business as a labour hire organisation, the SAJ employs and manages a cadre of 250 varying types of skilled workers which it supplies to the terminals operating at Port Bustamante across three shifts each day.
The SAJ plays a key role in ensuring that Jamaica’s maritime sector is competitive and remains viable through vigorous representation on critical industry and government committees.
We have fostered the formation and growth of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA). We are not only a member, but also serve as the home of its Secretariat. Our influence, markets and service provision is significantly enhanced by our synergies with this organisation and its network of maritime interests across the Caribbean, North and Latin America, as well as Europe.
Undeniably, we have much to celebrate – our historical labour agreements with the unions representing labour on the Port of Kingston, the continued work of the Joint Industrial Council; our dynamic role as advocates for our industry, among other achievements.
