Cargo carriers block Balboa and Free Zone

Land cargo carriers blocked, access to the port of Balboa and the Colon Free Zone on Thursday , September  23 at the start of an indefinite stoppage measure announced,  by the National Coordinator of Land Transportation of Containerized Cargo of Panama.

Land freight carriers have denounced that some shipping companies seek to monopolize the sector. “We do this demonstration to demand the right to work. Shipping companies must give up the monopoly, “said Abdiel Recuero, spokesman for the cargo drivers, stationed in the Balboa area.

Recuero said that containerized cargo, “a lifetime” business been for independents, specifically for nationals. “Nowadays the threat of the monopoly includes even the personal visit and inviting each of our clients to see how they handle their privileged cargo if they have directly with the shipping service, violating our business”, he added.

Some of these international shipping companies deny these indications and assure that the differences arise because there has been no consensus on some points discussed with the carriers. The Vice Minister of Internal Trade and Industries, Omar Montilla, invited the parties to continue talking to resolve the differences. The dialogue was scheduled to resume Thursday morning.

The strike measure “harms not only all national sectors and industries but also the international image of Panama,” warned the Panama Maritime Chamber, which acted as a mediator together with other unions and government entities to settle the differences between carriers and shipping lines.