Arguing that a wage adjustment has not been complied with, the Airport Workers Guild will begin protests in the country's air terminals on April 24.
Although protests are scheduled to begin on April 24, the Panamanian Airport Workers Union (UTAP) approved a strike call at the five airports administered by Tocumen, S.A. on May 6.
Ramón Sánchez, secretary general of UTAP, explained to Prensa.com that "...
Heavy truck drivers who provide transportation services have announced that they will stop work on Tuesday, January 17, to express their opposition to the alleged irregular payment of fines.
Prensalibre.com reports that "...Rony Mendoza, director of the Union of Drivers of Heavy Transporters, said the strike will be supported by rural, teaching and indigenous organizations, therefore they expect the participation of about 35 thousand people.However, at least two of these unions refused to give their support."
The union of exporters has reported losses of $145 million, and more than 12,000 shipping containers held up because of the blockades which have now been going on for more than a week.
Reports indicate that two shipping companies have suspended operations at the ports and announced they will not disembark because of "inability to ensure the safety of their staff."This is just one example of the serious damage caused to in the country by the blockades and demonstrations held by truckers for almost a week at customs offices and ports in Guatemala.
The private sector is demanding that the government investigate the possible existence of criminal structures which may be operating in an organized manner behind the strike at some ports and customs offices.
From a statement issued by the Chamber of Agriculture in Guatemala:
Guatemala, November 2, 2016.Given the situation under which for a sixth consecutive day import and export of products have been halted in Puerto Quetzal, Puerto Santo Tomas de Castilla and on the border of Tecun Uman,
The customs post of Tecun Uman II has been blocked by a strike on the part of Guatemalan cargo carriers.
The union of industrialists in Guatemala reports that blockades by carriers are already affecting passage through the customs office of Tecun Uman II.
Rony Mendoza, secretary general of the Heavy Transport Workers Union of Guatemala, told Diario de Centroamerica that"... vehicles transporting goods from ports and customs offices are not circulating on Thursday and that the strike will last for at least three days."
A strike has been announced for October 27 and 28 unless the government meets demands regarding new rules restricting movement of cargo vehicles in the capital.
The Union of Heavy Transporters has threatened to extend the planned strike until next week if the municipality does not meet their demands regarding new schedules for circulation of heavy transport vehicles in Guatemala City.
Operations in Santo Tomas de Castilla are back to normal, after truck drivers and customs agents agreed with the Government to improve conditions at the terminal.
In Costa Rica the will of the state to impose the rule of law against the de facto power exercised by any conglomerate continues to shrink.
The concessionaire APM Terminals has reported losses of up to $200,000 a day because of blockades by truckers who are obstructing the route to the construction site for the container terminal in Moin.
At least 200 carriers have blocked route 257 in the Caribbean of Costa Rica for a fifth day, which has brought economic losses both for companies who have to use this route as well as the Dutch company APM Terminals. The road in question leads to the construction site of the Moin Container Terminal (TCM). According to APM Terminals each passing day will mean losses of some $200,000.
Guatemala carriers have blocked passage through customs posts at Pedro de Alvarado, Jutiapa, in protest against the excessive slowness of procedures for entering El Salvador.
The slowness of customs formalities as a result of the computer system crash caused some 300 carriers to form a blockade using their trucks from Sunday February 28th on the route to the customs office in Ciudad Pedro de Alvarado, located in Moyuta, in the Guatemalan department of Jutiapa, on the border with El Salvador.
The Government and the union agreed to meet in the coming days to resolve complaints made by the industry, which resulted in two days of strikes and business losses of at least $10 million.
The blockade by truckers on the border between Costa Rica and Panama, organized by the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canacarga) and the Truckers Union of Chiriqui (Sicachi), was suspended on the night of February 16, after a party from the Government of Panama went from the capital to the province of Chiriqui.
A strike has been announced in the next few days unless the government meets demands related to the problems faced in customs offices and compliance with traffic rules.
Spokespeople for the Transport Association in Nicaragua (ATN) said the strike is in protest against the bureaucratic obstacles faced in customs offices, arrests by the police in different points along the routes and the increase in the fines.
The union has exhausted dialogue with the regional government of Chiriqui and is a blockading the border preventing the movement of freight carriers in Central America.
The provincial government in Chiriqui has failed to prevent Panamanian carriers, organized by the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation in Panama, (Canatraca) from indefinitely blocking the passage of trucks across the border in Paso Canoas (information at time of going to press at 3:30 p.m).
Domestic carriers have reaffirmed their intention to strike on Monday, February 15, in protest against the outsourcing of cargo from the ZLC to international companies.
The president of the National Chamber of Cargo Transportation (Canatraca), Manuel Mora, told Panamaamerica.com.pa that "... the strike will affect the mobilization 'of both domestic freight and international freight' ...
National transporters announced that they will go on strike on February 15 in order to assert pressure because of the outsourcing of cargo from the CFZ to international companies.
The National Chamber of Cargo Transportation is preparing a strike in conjunction with the Truck Drivers Syndicate of Chiriqui, which on several occasions has expressed its disagreement with the outsourcing of cargo services in the Colon Free Zone.
Less than 24 hours after it started union leaders signed an agreement with the Solis administration to end the strike that had paralyzed ports and the sale of fuels.
The strike called by major unions in the country lasted less than 24 hours and did not achieved the "historic" call aimed for by the organizers, who negotiated an end to the strike with the government around midnight on October 26.