Unions Denounce Ruling to Limit Geographical Designation for Jamaican Rum

At least two of Jamaica’s unions have come out against a recent decision by the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office and the Jamaica Spirits Pool Association to limit the geographical designation for Jamaica Rum.

National Rums of Jamaica, NRJ Limited, is currently challenging the designation in court.

The NRJ risks running afoul of the identifier due to some aspects of its manufacturing process taking place outside of the country.

However, first vice-president of the University and Allied Workers Union, UAWU, Clifton Grant, and assistant general secretary of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union, BITU, Collin Virgo, have called the ruling by JIPO and the Spirits Association short-sighted.

Chevon Campbell tells us more.

The NRJ, operator of Long Pond Distillers and Clarendon Distilleries, filed a lawsuit in which it argues that the JIPO decision undermines the legacy and global reputation of Jamaican rum as a premium product.

The lawsuit, filed on October 31, challenges JIPO’s reliance on a Protected Designation of Origin standard, which is applicable under the Lisbon Agreement.

It’s a treaty to which the NRJ argues Jamaica is not a party.

Echoing similar sentiments, the union bosses in an open letter on Friday, argue that JIPO’s decision risks undermining the deep-rooted heritage of Jamaica’s rum industry.

They say it also threatens the livelihoods of the workers who have made it a global standard. It says above all, there’s an undeniable fact that this product originates from Jamaica.

The letter says this heritage should be central in determining the rum’s designation.

The two senior union figures say the integrity of Jamaica Rum is not up for debate and its Jamaican identity is non-negotiable. It says the argument that Jamaica Rum could lose its identity due to storage overseas, is a trivial technicality.

They believe storage is a logistical detail, not a defining characteristic. This, they say, should not overshadow a product with such a rich history and cultural significance.

JIPO and the Jamaica Spirits Pool Association argue that the designation will better protect the Jamaican brand from overseas counterfeits.

The Jamaica Rum designation limits the label to spirits distilled and bottled in Jamaica utilising specific processes and criteria.

However, the NRJ now joined by the BITU and UAWU argues that this ruling threatens to fundamentally alter the business model and the rum as a globally recognised brand.