Government authorities and dock-workers unions reached an agreement early Tuesday to end a strike in the Caribbean province of Limón.
Presidency Minister Carlos Ricardo Benavides said an agreement had been reached with dock workers after hours of negotiations that ended around 2 a.m.
“We reached an agreement to end the strike, and as of 8 a.m. this morning, operations are open in the ports of Moín and Limón,” Benavides said.
The parties also agreed to carry out modernization of the docks via a $70 million loan request. The government promised to pay $40 million, while the Atlantic Port Authority (Japdeva) will cover the remaining $30 million, according to the minister.
“This will involve an adjustment in rates so that we can adequately pay the debt,” he added.
Japdeva workers walked off the job for a week protesting a government decision to grant a new dock concession to Dutch conglomerate APM Terminals. On Thursday, police occupied port facilities to allow Colombian and Panamanian workers to transport goods to and from waiting ships.
