Golfito Workers On Strike
The traditional holiday season shopping in the Depósito Libre Comercial de Golfito will have to wait some, as employees at the duty free trade centre are on strike.

The workers union says the employees are upset over a directive by the Junta Directiva de Desarrollo Regional de la Zona Sur (Judesur) - board of directors - that will force them to work the last week in December.

Guillermo Keith, members of the Directiva Nacional de la Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (ANEP) - the workers union - said the Golfito employees will end the strike if the directive is rescinded. The employees have had the last week in December off to spend with their families, the only vacation time for many working at the Golfito duty free zone, that has been the customer for the last 15 years.

The union leader added that he is not sure the reasons behind the move by the board of directords, since during that week very few shoppers are in the area. Most shoppers spend their Aguinaldo - the annual Christmas bonus - as soon as they get it - it is traditionally paid between December 1 and 20, government employees this year getting theirs on December 6.

Isabel Vega, a director of the board, said that the decision came after a meeting with the owners of the 39 concessions at the duty free centre and customs employees. Each concession owner has the right to give his employees time off as they please, it is their right and the right of the workers, added Vega.

The hours at the Golfito duty free centre are as follows:

Monday to Friday - 8am to 4:30pm

Saturdays - 7am - 2pm

December 25, 31 and January 1 will be closed.