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Costa Rica dockers end strike action as government signs agreement
5 November 2009
Dockers in two Costa Rican ports called off strike action recently after the government agreed on an adjustment to workers’ income to make up for a drastic salary cut.
The workers, represented by the ITF-affiliated union Sindicato de Trabajadores de JAPDEVA (SINTRAJAP), called off strike action in the ports of Limón and Moín on 24 October. They had been protesting since 20 October over the state-owned company’s failure to implement a wage agreement that had been settled by the Costa Rican authorities on 11 June; the union regards plans to privatise the ports to be at the heart of this non-compliance.
The strike brought both ports to a complete standstill. However, on 21 October, government forces took over the port of Moín by force, expelling the workers from the premises, an action considered to be totally arbitrary by the union.
The government eventually bowed to SINTRAJAP pressure and a satisfactory agreement was reached, giving non-professional employees 2.44 per cent as well as a wage adjustment. The union has, however, pledged vigilance; it believes that the government could seek to undermine the agreement again at any point in the future.
SINTRAJAP has said that privatisation of the ports would cost the region approximately 5,000 million colones (over $8million dollars) – its infrastructure is currently dependent on profits from the ports. Thousands of workers would also be deprived of their labour rights.
Commenting on the situation, ITF Americas regional secretary Antonio Rodriguez Fritz explained: “The president of the country violated the principles of the freedom of association conventions of the International Labour Organization (ILO), because he publicly attacked the union and the collective bargaining agreement that was signed between the union and the JAPDEVA administration. As a result, the unions are submitting a complaint to the ILO.”
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