Costa Rica: Dock workers mobilise against government interference in union
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Costa Rica: Dock workers mobilise against government interference in union

Report by Movement towards Socialism (MAS)
Published: 05/03/10

via Martin Ralph

Dock workers in Limon, the Caribbean region of Costa Rica, have had several days fighting against government interference in their union, Sintrajap.

The Ministry of Labor and Social Security created on 15 January a new leadership for the organization, elected in an unofficial meeting, convened by the president of the company. On 23 February, Sintrajap general secretary, Ronaldo blear, was reported to be sacked.

His replacement, Douglas Brenes, is a friend of the government, who promotes the privatization of ports in the region. In exchange for the support of workers, the government even offered a “compensation” of $ 137 million to the port. Another objective is to attack the labor rights of the port.

In response to the authoritarian intervention in the labor movement, unions in the province of Limon plan to strike, in addition to entering in court to contest the possession of the leadership submissive to the government of Óscar Arias.

1st March, report from Movement towards Socialism (MAS) Costa Rican section of the International Workers League