SAJ to host Industrial Relations Training Seminar on July 17

The Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ) will host an industrial relations training seminar on Thursday, July 17, under the theme ‘Mastering the Legal and Financial Landscape of Industrial Relations Practice’.

Facilitated by Emile Leiba, managing partner at DunnCox, the session aims to equip stakeholders 0with the tools and insights necessary to manage workplace dynamics effectively and responsibly.

“In today’s evolving labour landscape, understanding the intersection of legal compliance and financial planning is essential to maintaining healthy industrial relations,” said Terrence Brooks, general manager of the SAJ. “With our wealth of experience in this field, the SAJ is committed to helping companies proactively manage employer-employee relations and prepare for any potential challenges.”

The upcoming seminar builds on the SAJ’s legacy of designing and developing cutting-edge industrial relations and human resource development solutions that have cemented a culture of industrial harmony on the Port of Kingston, one of the underpinnings of the port’s impressive growth over the last 50 years.

The seminar is designed for employers, HR professionals, trade union representatives, and others involved in workplace relations. Participants will gain a solid understanding of Jamaica’s industrial relations framework, including key legislation such as the Labour Relations and Industrial Disputes Act and the Employment Act, as well as the role of trade unions and collective bargaining.

The session will also address legal rights and responsibilities, dispute resolution mechanisms, and recent legal developments. Financial topics include the cost of disputes, redundancy and severance obligations, and budgeting for compliance.

Attendees will explore best practices for maintaining positive workplace relations through negotiation strategies. The seminar concludes with an interactive Q&A session, providing participants the opportunity to address specific concerns.

“The SAJ has spent decades fostering stability and best practices on the port, and we want to see that level of competence reflected across the wider business community,” Brooks said. “This seminar is part of our commitment to helping companies strengthen their industrial relations foundations.”

The training will be delivered in a hybrid format, with both in-person and online participation options available. For registration details, contact the SAJ at training@jamports.com.

The SAJ’s history in industrial relations is well documented and, among other publications, is the subject of a book researched and published in 2006 by historian Anthony Johnson. From the establishment of the Joint Industrial Council, the first formal body for collective bargaining between employers and trade unions in Jamaica, in 1952, to its involvement in negotiating the 1966 Collective Labour Agreement, the SAJ has laid the foundation for long-term industrial harmony.

A landmark agreement in 1966, crafted by SAJ leaders and top trade unionists at that time, introduced standardised wages, benefits, grievance procedures, and work rules, a framework that not only stabilised dock operations but also became a regional model for industrial relations.

Between the 1970s and 1990s, the SAJ also played a central role in labour modernisation and mechanisation on the waterfront. As the port embraced containerisation and new technologies, the SAJ worked closely with unions to negotiate productivity-based incentives and implement worker retraining programmes. These transitions, often turbulent in other parts of the world, were managed in Jamaica with minimal disruption, a testament to the SAJ’s collaborative and forward-thinking approach.

These long-standing efforts have significantly reduced industrial disputes, improved operational efficiency, and helped attract major infrastructure investments, contributing to Kingston’s rise as one of the world’s top transshipment ports.