No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessPolice re-take docks from striking union workers, arrest 68

Police re-take docks from striking union workers, arrest 68

Public Security Minister Celso Gamboa announced that police had removed striking stevedores from the docks in Moín and Limón, which handles 80 percent of Costa Rica’s international trade, Wednesday evening with the support of Casa Presidencial.

At 5:50 p.m. Wednesday, 150 police officers swarmed the docks and quickly retook control of the valuable port infrastructure. Authorities arrested 68 people: 53 in Moín and 15 on the dock in Limón. During a press conference that evening, Gamboa said that the docks had been reopened and that police would remain on location to ensure their continued operation.


“Police take control of the docks. Prudent and respectful,” Gamboa tweeted.


“National Police officers will remain at the docks until they operate normally,” tweeted the Security Ministry.

La Nación reported that the Atlantic Port Authority, JAPDEVA, had reopened the docks Thursday morning with contracted foreign labor. JAPDEVA General Manager Pablo Díaz refused to name the nationality of the substituted workers. The first ship arrived at Moín Thursday morning to begin unloading its cargo.

“Everything ready for the first ship to dock in Moín.”

Ronaldo Blears, leader of the JAPDEVA union, SINTRAJAP, told reporter Luis Miguel Herrera of the daily La Nación that the police action was “outrageous” and that if the government struck the union, the union would strike back.

SINTRAJAP, started an “indefinite” strike to protest a provision of the $1 billion-concession granting APM Terminals the right to build and operate a “mega port” in Moín and hold a 33-year monopoly on the handling of containers there. SINTRAJAP alleged that the concession would threaten jobs at the public-owned docks. Wednesday’s strike followed an unsuccessful appeal brought by SINTRAJAP workers against the concession earlier this month.

Thursday morning, Labor Minister Victor Morales, Presidency Minister Melvin Jiménez, and Vice Minister of the Presidency Ana Gabriel Zúñiga received SINTRAJAP representatives, Broad Front Party lawmakers and Legislative Assembly President Henry Mora of the ruling Citizen Action Party to discuss the strike.

Morales is expected to give a statement about the negotiations later Thursday.

Trending Now

Chiquita Executives Convicted in Colombia for Financing Death Squads

Colombian justice on Wednesday sentenced seven former executives of the multinational banana company Chiquita Brands to more than 11 years in prison and a...

Costa Rica Food Culture: From Bar Bocas to Fast Food Chains

Once upon a time in Costa Rica, you could walk into a bar, order a beer, and receive a free boca – a small...

Costa Rica Court Sanctions Road Official Over Delayed Wildlife Crossings

Costa Rica’s wildlife faces perils, as authorities have continously failed to build wildlife crossings. Nonetheless, the Constitutional Court has taken a firm stance in...

Costa Rica Celebrates 201st Annexation Anniversary With New Nicoya Park

Nearly 200 people joined the Municipality of Nicoya this Sunday to inaugurate a new park at the Annexation Monument, an initiative that blends recreation,...

Costa Rica Tops Latin America in Attracting Foreign Millionaires

Costa Rica is a country that attracts millionaires. Projections indicate that by the end of 2025, a total of 350 foreign millionaires will have...

Why Birders Are Flocking to Costa Rica’s Barra del Colorado

Costa Rica is a bird-watching paradise, offering an incredible diversity with close to 900 recorded species, including resident and migratory species. One reason for...
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