Construction industry shutdown extension affects 70,000 workers

The  month-long shutdown of Panama’s construction industry has been extended for  another 30 days

The decision was promulgated in an  Executive Decree on Friday, April 24 following a virtual meeting of representatives of the Panamanian Chamber of Construction (Capac) and the  Construction Workers Union   (Suntracs) , with Minister of Labor, Doris Zapata acting as mediator.

Some 16,398 contracts have already been temporarily suspended.  All projects  are closed, with the exception of the construction of the modular hospital and the rehabilitation of the Bridge of the Americas,

In March, Capac and Suntracs agreed to the orderly stoppage of the works, even before the government decreed the closure of the sector, as a preventive measure to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

That agreement implied the commitment to pay the b-week that ended on March 28, in addition to the payment scheduled for April 8 and the ognition of the thirteenth month on April 15.

Late on Friday, Capac and Suntracs were trying to agree on possible future payments in favor of the workers.