Funeral procession for the striking workers killed on July 9 in Panama
Striking Panamanian workers have recently won significant victories. The combined force of construction and banana workers has forced the Panamanian government to suspend its anti-worker, anti-union Law 30.
Passed by Panama’s National Assembly on June 12, Law 30 limits the right to strike, union membership and freedom of association. It also outlaws workers’ rights to organize street protests during labor contract disputes, with the associated criminal offense carrying a penalty of two years’ imprisonment.
Some 4,000 banana plantation workers began striking July 2 after workers at the Bocas Fruit Company had portions of their pay withheld by the company. As the protests spread, nearly 2,000 independent banana growers joined the struggle.
On July 9, the protest was confronted with violent police repression, resulting in the deaths of two workers, Antonio Smith and Fernán Castillo. After 10 grueling days, the Panamanian government finally agreed to meet the workers’ demands, including the suspension of Law 30.
Meanwhile, on the Panama Canal, a week-long strike led by construction workers ended July 13 following concessions by managers on working conditions. Construction workers, employed by the international consortium Grupo Unidos por el Canal, had halted work on a Panama Canal expansion project at the Gatun zone on the Panamanian Atlantic coast.