According to Mitradel, Banana Hiring Now Totals More than a Thousand People

The Minister of Labor and Workforce Development, Jackeline Muñoz, revealed that as of Friday, September 19, the multinational company Chiquita had formally hired 1,000 people as part of its operations reactivation process.   Muñoz’s statements come after approximately 3,000 workers were announced last Friday as part of the first phase of the company’s return to operations in the province of Bocas del Toro.  Up to that point, the Ministry of Foreign Trade had registered approximately 500 contracts with new ones.  Muñoz explained that for a contract to be registered within the Ministry of Trade and Industry, compliance with the Labor Code regulations is essential, so the documents processed meet the requirements. 

He stated that these are entirely new jobs, and the number of contract registrations will increase as each farm receives more.   They hope to reach 3,000 contracts in the next 45 days, with 2,000 more to be added in a second phase in February, for a total of 5,000 jobs.  He clarified that the State does not interfere in hiring processes, because in this country they are free and are the responsibility of companies, but the institution is monitoring compliance with the labor regulations that govern it while it waits for the workforce to expand.  According to the memorandum of understanding signed between the administration of President José Raúl Mulino and the company Chiquita Panamá, for the resumption of operations in the province of Bocas del Toro, it is established that the first stage includes agricultural work to clean and recover the plantations.