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ITF steps up protest to Costa Rica government
26 February 2010
The ITF has today called on its affiliates to prepare for lawful solidarity action over the Costa Rican government’s apparently deliberate destruction of a legitimate port workers’ union.
The ITF issued the call to unions in defence of its affiliate Sindicato de Trabajadores de JAPDEVA (SINTRAJAP), which appears to be illegally and unconstitutionally targeted by the country’s authorities. It is urging them to take any lawful solidarity action that sends out a clear message opposing the Costa Rican authority’s actions. The government is seeking to destroy the union to make way for the speedy privatisation of the ports.
Earlier this month, the ITF reported on a number of moves against the union, including claims of offers of cash payments made to SINTRAJAP members to leave the union. These attacks are one in a number of anti-union steps taken by the government over the years in response to union resistance to its privatisation programme.
However, this week SINTRAJAP has been even more ruthlessly targeted. On 24 February, two union activists were arrested and detained. A day later it was reported that an attempt, backed by the police, was made to take over the union’s executive; 140 workers resisted the attempt by blocking access to the port. Port workers have also been participating in continuous work stoppages in a show of solidarity with their union.
The newly elected president Laura Chinchilla will take office on 1 May; it is understood that she will continue with proposals put forward by her party colleague, Oscar Arias.
Antonio Fritz, ITF Americas regional secretary, reports: “The Costa Rican government is doing its best to dissolve the union, privatise the port and sack the workers. There is a very real danger that, without international help, a lawful trade union will be crushed for short term political gain and to facilitate the making of a fast buck. Unfortunately we have previous experience of this type of government attack. In the port of Caldera, similar actions were taken which ultimately showed not only that the government’s aim was to destroy the union and to give the operation to companies under ‘special’ circumstances, but also to undermine drastically the port workers' conditions. Sadly 33 of those former workers have committed suicide over the past four years. We have to fight to avoid a repetition of similar events in the ports of Limon and Moin.”
More information: http://www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/sintrajap.cfm To send a protest letter visit: www.itfglobal.org/solidarity/sintrajap.cfm/letter/45/
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