Bocas Banana Industry Leader Francisco Smith has a Criminal Complaint Filed Against him for Alleged “Civil Disobedience” in Panama
Lawyer Senén Briceño claimed that there is an alleged “social kidnapping”
Amid citizen complaints from various business and social groups over street closures by members of the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana) in the province of Bocas del Toro, protesting against Law No. 462, which reformed the Social Security Fund (CSS), lawyer and social communicator Senén Briceño filed a criminal complaint against the general secretary of that union organization, Francisco Smith.
The complaint filed by Briceño against Smith and others alleges that they are responsible for the crime of “civil disobedience,” arguing that they have kept the province closed since April 28, more than a month ago, negatively impacting the population of Bocas del Toro in general. Briceño asserted that there is an alleged “social kidnapping,” as public roads are blocked, there are threats against the population, and in recent hours all streets in various neighborhoods have been blocked by “bad people.” “It’s a direct threat against the entire civilian population,” the complainant concluded.
Bocas del Toro: Banana union willing to resume dialogue with the government. Smith said they will travel to Panama City on Monday, June 9, to meet with the group of National Assembly members pictured below, around noon.
President José Raúl Mulino (left), Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa, Rabbi Gustavo Kraselnik, and the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Julio Moltó.
All Employees go on Strike, and the Company takes the most Drastic Measure Against them: “Not a Single Worker Remains.”
The Panamanian subsidiary of the American banana giant Chiquita Brands has laid off 1,600 workers after more than a month of strikes against pension reform. Last May, the company dismissed all of its day laborers for “unjustified abandonment of work” and the cessation of activity at its Changuinola production center. Given this context, a Panamanian court ruled the workers’ strike illegal, so the company found the perfect opportunity to legally lay off the majority of its employees.
“There is not a single worker left”
The company had at least 7,000 employees on its payroll, but the labor dispute, stemming from protests against the pension reform approved by Congress, resulted in the loss of $75 million. Once the court ruled the strike illegal, the Panamanian subsidiary began a wave of layoffs. “They’re submitting a request for authorization to dismiss more than 1,600 employees, and not a single worker remains from the entire company,” said Jackeline Muñoz, who traveled to the region with other ministers to negotiate an end to the strike.
Employment Strikes in Different Markets
After negotiations with the unions, the right-wing government of José Raúl Mulino agreed to draft a bill to reinstate the benefits system for banana plantation workers, following the wave of strikes that have occurred throughout the country. However, the government conditioned this legislative approval on the unions ordering the reopening of roads and ending strike calls, something the unions refused to do until its official approval.
