Panama: Union Leaders
Mistrust Wage Talks
Two main Panamanian
unions termed unfruitful
and doomed the
government-mediated
negotiations between
workers and managements
to define a new general
salary law.
On Friday, the so-called
three-party committee
started talks, which
immediately came to a
halt when management
representatives demanded
flexibility from labor
as a precondition to
discuss a wage hike.
Negotiations are
expected to resume on
Monday under the
auspices of the Labor
Ministry, which has made
clear the lack of any
government project to
modify the country's
current Labor Code.
The National Independent
United Trade Union
Confederation (CONUSI)
and the General
Confederation of Workers
of Panama (CGTP) agreed
that the objective of a
general increase in
wages will be achieved
through street struggle.
CONUSI is demanding a
20-percent salary
increase to make up for
the high cost of living
and inflationary trend
prevailing in the
country. |
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