The Panama Chamber of Commerce calls for Urgent Dialogue: Changuinola cannot Repeat the History of Puerto Armuelles

Panama City, Panama: The Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture of Panama (CCIAP) has spoken out against the labor crisis facing the banana-growing region of Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, warning of the serious human and economic consequences that could occur again if action is not taken responsibly and within the legal framework.  The president of the Cciap, Juan Alberto Arias, made an urgent call for dialogue and respect for the rule of law, emphasizing that “when mistakes are repeated, so are the consequences.”  According to Arias, the current situation in Changuinola is not simply a conflict between workers and employers. 

“There’s something much more serious going on here: the union is being used for political purposes, setting aside what truly matters—the well-being of the workers—and ignoring the law and the collective bargaining agreement itself ,” he stated.  The strike, which has paralyzed economic activity in the area, was declared illegal after failing to follow the procedures stipulated in the collective bargaining agreement and the Labor Code. Despite this, the unions decided to continue the strike, blocking roads, and according to the statement, “effectively kidnapping our entire community.”  The impact of the strike is already being felt in homes. “Nearly 7,000 people and their families are seeing their livelihoods lost.

And the saddest thing is that all of this could have been avoided if there had been a willingness to comply with the law and seek real solutions,” Arias warned.  The situation has brought to mind a similar incident in Puerto Armuelles, where the breakdown of channels of dialogue wiped out the main source of employment and turned a prosperous town into a “ghost town, abandoned by apathy and intransigence.”  “History repeats itself, but we still have time,” Arias said. He noted that the government has presented concrete proposals to address the demands related to Law 45 of 2017, which modifies aspects of the Social Security Fund for banana workers and independent producers. However, the response has been to “cut off any possibility of agreement. And this way, we don’t make progress.” 

The CCIAP recognized the legitimacy of defending labor rights, but emphasized that recent actions are far from that. This seems more like a political move than a true defense of workers.”  And he added a clear warning: “Without functioning businesses, there are no jobs. And without jobs, all that remains is more poverty.”  Furthermore, the Chamber emphasized that the problem goes beyond the workplace. The lack of education in the country further exacerbates the situation. “Today, many children and young people in Panama are not only failing to learn the basics, they are also being denied the opportunity to develop fundamental skills: thinking, listening, analyzing, and seeking solutions.”  Arias concluded with a call to action: 

“We still have time to prevent Changuinola from ending up like Puerto Armuelles. But to do so, we must be willing to sit down, talk, comply with the law, and build real solutions.”  And he concluded with a blunt exhortation: “Let’s not allow politicking to close the doors to progress. Let’s open our eyes, listen, and think about the future we want to leave for Changuinola, for Panama, and for our children.”  In Bocas del Toro, the roads have been closed for more than a month.

As you may recall, on the afternoon of Thursday, May 22, Chiquita Panama and Ilara Holding reported that, in response to the “unjustified” abandonment of work on their banana farms in Changuinola since April 28, they have terminated the employment of all daily workers.  Only eight workers picked up their severance checks at Chiquita’s offices.