No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveMarathon Negotiation Ends 51-Day Port Dispute

Marathon Negotiation Ends 51-Day Port Dispute

Following a 13-hour negotiation session last week, the government and the Atlantic Port Authority’s (JAPDEVA) labor union reached an agreement that ended a 51-day labor dispute that disrupted cargo handling operations at the Limón-Moín port complex, on the Caribbean coast.

The port handles roughly 80 percent of the country’s maritime cargo.

The agreement ends a dispute that put the port out of operation between six and 18 hours a day. Union members were demanding overtime pay for hours worked beyond the six-hour shift included in their collective bargaining agreement.

Marco Vargas, an inter-institutional coordination minister, said the union workers agreed to switch from working four six-hour shifts to working three eight-hour shifts under the condition that they be paid overtime during the last two hours of each shift. In addition, the government agreed to create 100 additional positions within JAPDEVA.

Vargas said that now the crisis has been resolved, the government can focus on advancing its plan to turn the operation and expansion over to a concession and the port to a private firm. Caldera, the country’s main Pacific shipping port, by comparison, has been managed privately since 2006.

Vargas said the government estimates it will be able to issue a tender, organize a bid and select a winner next year.

Last week Dutch consulting firm Royal Haskoning presented the government with a master plan for the country’s Caribbean ports, which will serve as the basis for designing the concession tender, the daily La República reported.

 

Trending Now

From Costa Rica to the US an Expat Longing For Home

There are close to 200,000 people of Tico origin presently living in the US. I have spent the past month in an area where...

Nicaragua Alleges Costa Rican Police Tried to Detain Player

Tensions ran high at the National Stadium here in Costa Rica last night when police officers entered the Nicaraguan team's locker room moments before...

Costa Rica Presidential Candidate Fernández Reports Spy Device

Laura Fernández, the presidential candidate for the Pueblo Soberano party, revealed on Tuesday that she discovered a concealed microphone in her personal office, raising...

Costa Rica Joins US-Led Bid for 2031 Women’s Soccer World Cup

The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica, and Jamaica have teamed up to bid for hosting the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup. This marks the...

Costa Rica’s Liberia Airport Fixes Runway Issues Overnight

Contractors began repairs on the runway at Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport this week, focusing on sections that did not meet required standards after...

JetBlue Flash Sale: Fort Lauderdale to Liberia Flights Ends Today

Those looking for a deal on airfare and eyeing a trip between Florida and Costa Rica now have a chance to get one with...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica