Panama: Social Struggle
Predicted
Panamanian construction
trade union leader
Genaro Lopez predicted
the start of a year of
struggle against
neoliberal policies and
social exclusion.
The return to work in
this country after
several festive days,
facilitated the entry in
force of increases in
the electric power and
contributions to the
Social Security Safety
Box in the middle of
threatening for increase
in the food and
transport sectors.
Lopez, secretary general
of the National Unique
Construction Trade
Union, said they would
face a legislation that
increases workers´
payment of social
security and reduces
pensions.
He also announced the
struggle against the
increase of the cost of
life, and the prices of
basic services.
He also pointed that
more than a million
Panamanians lives in
poverty, 40 percent of
the population with a
job hardly has the
minimum salary and
800,000 citizens suffer
malnutrition.
"The last report by the
United Nations said that
Panama did not go any
forward regarding
reduction of poverty,
and this clearly defines
the government of the
Revolutionary Democratic
Party," he said.
Lopez denounced what he
called "the selling of
the homeland at the
expense of our patrimony
and environment, to
favour the same 100
families concentrating
the riches of the
country each time more,
corruption and nepotism
of governmental
officials, presidents
and entrepreneurs.
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