Costa Rica dockworkers to join in Thursday protests

August 20^th, 2015 (ICR News) The dockworkers union known as Sintrajap announced a work stoppage today at the Moin and Limon ports and will take to the streets of Limon in solidarity with at least ten unions and dozens of labor syndicates representing the country’s public education and public health workers, amongst others, protesting in San Jose and across the country today, CRHoy.com reported late Wednesday.

Dockworkers are protesting part of a concession granted to the Dutch firm APM Terminals to operate the Moin Container Terminal, which the public dockworkers claimed in an appeal to the Constitutional Court last year would grant the firm an illegal monopoly on container handling in the Caribbean.  The union lost that appeal last year.

In addition, the dockworkers will march against “attacks” on the working class and in opposition to a “neoliberal agenda that is only in solidarity with the powerful class.”

Meanwhile, Gilberto Cascante, president of the National Association of Educators (ANDE), said that 95% of public grade schools, high schools and preschools would be closed, as dozens of busloads of public schoolteachers from around the country converge on San Jose.

Diario Extra cites unofficial reports that as many as 10,000 demonstrators are expected in the capital city, while other demonstrations are planned throughout the country.  Traffic congestion is expected in many areas of the San Jose metro area.

The protest, dubbed the “Protest for Social Justice,” will begin at 10 a.m. at San Jose’s Central Park (La Merced) and proceed down second avenue before reaching the Legislative Assembly, where protestors intend to deliver a manifesto to lawmakers against proposals to cut bonuses and what some lawmakers call “excessive” compensation and perks to public employees.

Public healthcare and education workers say they are protesting “attacks” on their salary bonuses and other employment guarantees.

Union leaders said that public employees are suffering from “unjustified attacks” and that “attacks on economic, labor and social rights only widen the gap between rich and poor.”

Opposition party lawmakers in Costa Rica’s Legislative Assembly have been calling for austerity measures – especially in public payrolls – to tackle the country’s soaring fiscal deficit, while President Luis Guillermo Solis is pushing for broad tax reforms to increase tax revenues.