News

Dozens of workers and leaders of various trade unions appeared yesterday at the Office of the Minister of Labor, waiting for an official response from the Minister of the sector on a number of events linked to an illegal meeting of JAPDEVA workers on January 15. The meeting was pushed to approve the concession of the ports of Limon and to nominate a new Board of JAPDEVA Workers Union (SINTRAJAP).



This irregular meeting is evidence for the government’s intervention in internal affairs of the union SINTRAJAP and its disrespect of the freedom of association as guaranteed by the ILO Convention 87-98. It also reflects a new outrage to the employment rights of JAPDEVA workers and their union SINTRAJAP. This could become a dangerous precedent leading to possible interference in other workers' organisations.



A delegation of workers was received at 2:00 pm, to hear the official response from the Labor Office. The main complaint of the Steering Committee of SINTRAJAP concerns the appointment of a fake Committee which, they claim, can not be accepted because the law prevents it and it implies a serious violation of trade union rights.



The workers disagreed with the way the government approached the issue as the Minister of the Presidency, Rodrigo Arias, already expressed being satisfied with the agreements reached at that illegal meeting. Rolando Blair, Secretary General of SINTRAJAP, also denounced the intervention into union affairs of Francisco Jimenez, CEO of JAPDEVA.



According to a certificate issued by the Ministry of Labor, to date there has been no documentation of the self-appointed mediator group validating the agreements of the meeting on 15 January. This mediator group is not an official organ of SINTRAJAP nor has it been elected to represent workers of that organization. However, the group has received the support of presidential palace to press for the port concession.



In the afternoon a group of demonstrators continued to protest in the consulting room while the street outside the ministry was blocked. Union leaders in a meeting with the Ministry said that they will remain in the building until it is guaranteed that the assembly organized by the mediator group will not be registered.



The negotiations so far deadlocked. Labor Minister Alvaro Gonzalez denies signing an agreement with the various union representatives.

Sergio Saborio, Sitet

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