Ronaldo Blear was overwhelmingly reelected as Secretary General of the SINTRAJAP dockworkers union after the Costa Rican government helped install a sham leadership last year.
Last year, Costa Rican unions filed a complaint against the government before the International Labor Organization. They also called for sanctions outlined by the labor clauses of the Central America Free Trade Agreement. What happened with those complaints?
Any complaint process is complex and takes patience. I know everything is under investigation, and we will take this as far as possible. We would like to unmask the truth so that the entire world knows that in Costa Rica, labor rights are not respected. It is illegal for the government to interfere in union matters. But it happened last year when dockworkers were tempted with the $137 million bailout. We must ensure that legal responsibilities are complied with.
Many people would despise your actions if the country were to receive a sanction.
We live in a society of laws, and if one feels one’s rights are undermined, there is no other choice than requesting help from all the international ruling bodies to stop the abuse. It is one’s right, especially if you are representing the working class. We should take advantage of the international tools for legal protection. They were established and implemented for a reason.