Transport Workers Solidarity Committee

Costa Rica: Dock workers mobilise against government interference in union
http://www.labournet.net/docks2/1003/costar1.html

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.

Puerto Rico Teamsters Unite for Change
http://www.tdu.org/node/3568

Puerto Rico Teamsters Unite for Change
December 28, 2009: Members are uniting for change in Puerto Rico under the banner Teamsters Making the Difference.

“We are proud to be Teamsters—but we are not proud of Local 901 leaders who have put their own interests ahead of the members,” said Humberto Miranda, a Local 901 Teamster and a member of Teamsters for a Democratic Union.

“We’re organizing to restore democracy, integrity and power to our union,” Miranda said.

That battle is far from won. But corrupt local officials are on the defensive.

Local 901 principal officer German Vázquez is on his way out after being caught in an embezzlement scandal. (An investigation by the Independent Review Board found that Vázquez gave himself four improper pay hikes totaling $55,532).

The Department of Labor is suing Local 901 for election violations, charging that the local ran last fall’s voting to illegally favor the incumbents.

And the National Labor Relations Board is taking action against Local 901 officials—charging them with retaliating against members for supporting the reform candidates for union office. An NLRB trial that begin in December will continue next month.

Oct 27, 2009 12:42 AM

Subject: Dockers strike in Peru
On Monday 10/26 13,000 dockers stopped work in Peru for 24 hours in every port in the country. They were protesting the privatization of the port of Paita. The dockers union believes that this is just the beginning of the privatization of all ports in Peru.
Of the 135 dockers who work in the Paita dock, over half have lost their jobs since privatization and wages have been cut from 70 soles (aprox. $25) to 50 soles (aprox $17) a day.
The head of the union stated; "President Alan Garcia is handing over the port to Chilean and Portugese capital."
The head of the Chamber of Commerce stated: "Everytime we privatize, are they going to strike because they don't like it?" He begged the dockers not to strike because thousands of workers who depend on imports and exports could lose their jobs. He affirmed "the doors of dialogue are always open."
Earl Gilman

Petition against Persecution of Costa Rican Union Leaders for Opposing CAFTA

To: Dr. Óscar Arias Sánchez, President of Costa Rica
Francisco Morales Hernández, Minister of Labor
We, the undersigned Australian union members and supporters of free speech and association, call on the government of Costa Rica to stop retaliating against union leaders who oppose implementation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement.
We adamantly insist that you rescind the disciplinary actions, and threats of action, against the union officers listed below who have worked for years in public service and who are tireless advocates for workers rights:
Alicia Vargas, Secretary of the Women Workers section of the Staff Union of the National Insurance Institute (UPINS);
Luis Salas, General Secretary of UPINS and the Central Labor Council (CGT);
Fabio Chavez, General Secretary, and Executive Board members Francisco Aguilar and Jorge Vega, Association of Employees of the Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ASDEICE);
Jose Luis Castillo, Financial Secretary of the port workers union in Limon and Moín SINTRAJAP); and