Stalemate Continues At Caribbean Ports

A police presence persisted at the nation’s two biggest ports on the Caribbean coast this week, with port workers continuing their tortuguismo, working at a slow pace to protest the government’s plan to privatize the ports.

Police officers “keep substituting workers,” said Leroy Pérez, spokesman for the Caribbean Port Workers Union (SINTRAJAP), referring to the police policy of asking workers who are working too slowly to leave or be escorted from the port.

Presidency Minister Rodrigo Arias said Wednesday that the Labor Minister has been talking with public worker representatives, but that the government refuses to enter into negotiations while workers continue the protests.

“As long as there is still a state of tortuguismo, we can’t sit down at the table to negotiate,” Arias told The Tico Times.