Although both parties resumed talks on the morning of Friday April 25, the possibility of reaching an agreement still seems distant, as the union is holding to its demand to increase wages by 107% over the four years of the new collective agreement.

"On the third day of strike in the construction sector, business associations rejected the wage demands of the labor union and warned about its consequences: a decrease in the number of projects, with the consequent dismissal of labor-and rising housing costs" reported Prensa.com.

Rodriguez, a spokesman for Capac, predicted that if the proposal by Suntracs is accepted, "thousands of Panamanians will lose their ability to buy a home." "We would be approving a salary which would mean that you would not be able to buy a house and construction activity would be reduced."

Source: Prensa.com

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