Costa Rica: Limon dockworkers closed ports and stopped export

Last week the dock workers kept the ports of Moin and Aleman paralyzed.

Seven vessels remained in the harbor waiting to load or unload goods. Each day waiting is worth up to $40,000 (¢ 20.3 million).

80% of Costa Rica´s exports and imports pass through Lemon.

Japdeva Worker Union Leaders, Port Associations (Sintrajap) warned that the pressure will increase unless the government sits down to talk.

His most important claim is against the concession given to the Dutch company APM Terminals, to build a container terminal in Moin, a contract that was even endorsed by the Comptroller General of the Republic.

Specifically, the annulment of Chapter 9 of the contract with APM, which granted exclusivity in the movement of the containers, has been requested.

The protest in the Caribbean began at a time when porters, bus drivers,workers and teachers of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) took or announced action against the Government.

For the Minister of the Presidency, Carlos Ricardo Benavides, the syndicate's action are not "unjustified", saying that they have had months of dialogue with the dockworkers.

Also, exporter and importer chamber representatives, are concerned about the losses that represents the stop to port activities.
By late afternoon, dockworkers received support from other workers' organizations and some civilian groups.

"Here things are getting hot as we have more support from various sectors of Limon," said Ronaldo Blear, Secretary General of the Sintrajap.

Allan Hildalgo, chief executive of the Board of Port Administration and Economic Development of the Atlantic (Japdeva) confirmed that he participated in a meeting with members of the Executive.

His goal was to seek ways to revive the ports' operation in the shortest time possible. The first option was to negotiate with the protesters.

"On the issue of APM Terminals and the new container terminal, they themselves (Sintrajap) elevated the case to the courts and the trial will be held at the Administrative Court on 25th of June, we must wait for that process," he said.

Source: Nacion