Protests over Costa Rican government’s anti-union tactics
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Background
For ten years now the Costa Rican government has attempted to privatise the country’s ports, especially the port of Limon.
The port is administered by JAPDEVA, an agency specifically created to operate the port and to use the money it raises to promote development and infrastructure works in Limon, one of Costa Rica’s poorest provinces. Throughout this time the ITF and its affiliated unions have supported the port workers’ desire to save the port from the kind of privatisation that has led to joblessness and misery in Limon’s sister port of Caldera.
In defence of the port strikes have been held and adhered to, even when the strikers have been attacked by riot police and strike-breakers brought in from outside the country. Strongly backed by the local community, the ITF-affiliated SINTRAJAP dockers’ union has been successful in two of the strikes, and has presented a meticulously costed structural plan for the profitable running of the port.
Despite this, the government, led by Oscar Arias, has become increasingly desperate to undermine the union and privatise the port, irrespective of the views of its workers, users and neighbours. That apparent determination is reflected in increasingly unconstitutional behaviour by the state owned JAPVEDA port agency, which unilaterally called a ‘workers’ assembly’. When its proposals were massively rejected in January it called a second meeting attended by only 20 per cent of the workforce, at which JAPVEDA imposed a new, pro-government board and illegally established a ‘yellow’ (unrepresentative, undemocratic, employer-run) trade union, in contravention of ILO conventions 87 and 98.
In response, and in defence of their right to choose their own union, Puerto Limon’s workers then occupied a number of port facilities, withdrawing when it became apparent that the police were likely to be used in force to evict them. Since then they have maintained their protests with strong popular support from the people of Costa Rica.
This week the danger has increased even further. In the last few days we have received reports that the fake union executive, backed by police officers, tried to take over SINTRAJAP. A hundred and forty workers blocked their way, the rest were at work, where they’ve been holding constant work stoppages in defence of the union. So far a full blown strike has not been called for fear that it would open the way to the police to occupy the port and eject the dockworkers.
We are therefore asking you to join us and the international trade union movement in protesting against these attempts to muzzle or replace the SINTRAJAP union. We call on ITF affiliates to send messages of protest to the Costa Rican government and to be ready to continue to support the autonomy of that country’s legitimate trade unions.
Please follow the link above to make your protest heard.
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