Costa Rica, with Puerto Limon visible on the Caribbean Coast. Puerto Moin is nearby.
The dockers’ union that represents workers on the West Coast of the US has expressed support for Costa Rican port workers, who are defending their union rights and speaking up against privitisation. In a letter dated 24 March, leaders of the ITF-affiliated International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) highlighted the fight of workers in the ports of Limon and Moin for union rights. The union representing them, another ITF affiliate, Sindicato de Trabajadores de JAPDEVA (SITNTRAJAP) recently saw its democratically elected leaders removed and replaced with a new board of government-backed directors. In addition, its bank account was frozen. For years, the union has been locked in a battle against privatisation of the ports and has sought to be involved in discussions regarding port modernisation.
The ILWU leaders committed to support the port workers in their struggle to work together to bring about modernisation. They stated that the ILWU stood with them “in your struggle to be a part of the promise that was made – the promise that the institutions, including labour unions, and people of Limon work together to implement a modernisation plan to improve the quality of life for Limon’s residents. The modernisation of the ports of Limon and Moin cannot take place without the full and democratic participation of the SINTRAJAP port workers’ union.”
From ITF Global, April 8, 2010