Dockers at two Costa Rican ports, Limon and Moin, have gone back to work after reaching an agreement with the government. The workers were protesting against the lack of consultation over restructuring plans and demanding that the terms of their collective bargaining agreement be respected.The dockers, members of the ITF-affiliated SINTRAJAP, began a work-to-rule on 25 September in the ports. The union accused the government of a heavy-handed response when it sent in 300 police and security personnel, who took over cargo handling work from the union members. The workers allegedly suffered attacks and intimidation.However last Friday, the union says, there was a “groundbreaking agreement” with the government. The agreement is said to meet all the unions’ demands, including commitments to: pay outstanding benefits; establish a special commission to deal with the modernisation of the ports and investigate the labour conditions of the dockers. The deal also includes a pledge by the company not to harass or persecute workers or trade union leaders. Strike action was called off after the deal was struck.
Last week, the ITF and the International Union of Food, Agricultural, Hotel, Restaurant, Catering, Tobacco and Allied Workers’ Associations (IUF) lobbied fruit companies using the Costa Rican ports, as well as the port of Quetzal in Guatemala; a similar stand-off involving riot police took place there when members of the ITF-affiliated STEPQ demonstrated over port privatisation and union oppression. Taking a cue from the Costa Rican response, the Guatemalan government has now also indicated that it is ready to come to the negotiating table this week.