Panama Teachers Increase Pressure but the Suntracs Strike Weakens

Teachers’ unions reaffirm strike and demand the resignation of the Minister of Education.  The teachers’ unions that are still on strike agreed this Saturday, May 10, during a general meeting at the headquarters of the Veraguas Educators Association (AEVE) in the province of Veraguas, to reiterate their position that Law 462, which reformed the Social Security Fund (CSS), be repealed. This demand has now been joined by a request for the resignation of the Minister of Education, Lucy Molinar.  The leader noted that “no one has requested a dialogue table, neither from President José Raúl Mulino nor from the Minister of Education, Lucy Molinar; at least not from the teaching sector, which began the strike on April 23,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Works (MOP) is Reactivating Projects despite the Construction Sector Strike

Protests continue unabated in various regions of the country. Veraguas and Bocas del Toro are the provinces where the demonstrations have escalated the most.  Chiquita Panama, has closed its offices in Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, due to road closures and protests that have been ongoing for the past 12 days.  Chiquita Panama, responsible for banana production and distribution, warned earlier that if this situation continues, the number of jobs and productive hectares will decrease in the near future.

Filling work on the West Side of the Fourth Canal Bridge Project, near Farfán, is Halted

The construction sector strike called by the National Union of Construction and Related Workers (Suntracs) shows signs of easing.  Despite the halt in road infrastructure projects caused by the strike called by Suntracs, the Ministry of Public Works (MOP) has managed to reactivate several projects across the country.  Of the 50% of projects halted at the start of the strike on April 28—representing 90 projects—nearly 65 have been reactivated, mostly minor projects but multi-million dollar projects remain on hold.  Filling work on the west side of the Fourth Canal Bridge project, near Farfán, has been halted.  The agency’s reports indicate that only four emergency projects remain on hold.