Limón Docks Back To Normal After Police Intervention; President Arias Stays Firm
The "tortuguismo" or work slow down at the ports of Limón was interrupted yesterday morning by police action, when the Unidad Intervencion Policial (UIP) were ordered to clear the entrance to the docks.

The police action meant that hundreds of trailers lined up to enter the docks to unload their merchandise were able to do so, while union members of the Japdeva took to the streets to oppose the action and the governments plans to privatize the docks.

The demonstration was peaceful, as tens of vehicles created a motorcade that toured the area of Limón for most of the day. The only incident reported was verbal abuse of a television channel 7 Telenoticias reporter for not reporting the situation with impartiality.

At 7pm last night, president Oscar Arias went on national television with a firm message to the union and its members that the government will not buckle down to their demands and their tactics and will continue ahead with the privatization of the docks at Limón and Moín.

President Arias reiterated that the privatization was part of his campaign promise to the residents of Limón and that the privatization will not mean selling off the docks, but rather to concession the dock operations to private companies in a similar fashion as it was done at the Caldera docks on the Pacific coast.

The president was firm that the actions of a few - the union leaders - are not in the best interests of all and that the producers, importers and exporters are the ones who provide jobs in the province and not the unions.

Arias is maintaining a firm stand that the Limón docks need to me modernized and the that the government doesn't have the financial resources to make the required investment.

"I want to make clear that we will be franchising the dock operations and never have I said that it would be sold", said Arias to Costa Ricans on his national address.

For the time being police are keeping the entrance to the docks clear, however, there is a reported slowdown on the operation of some of the cranes. Police cannot operated the cranes.

The police action came after three days of a work slowdown and the entrance to the port closed off to the trucks filled with, in many cases, fresh fruit that has to be shipped in a timely manner or risk being spoiled when it finally reaches its end market.

According to the Cámara de Exportadores de Costa Rica (Cadexco), exporters say they lost more than us$7 million dollars in products.

Last night, port officials said that more than 500 containers had been moved and four ships were able to leave the port, as some 260 police officials keep a vigil eye on operations.

The tortuguismo began on Monday when union members got fed up with the government's stalling of payment of some ¢470 million colones in pay based on a collective agreement that was signed in 2005 by the Abel Pacheco administration.

Monday morning the government announced that it had found the money to pay the workers. However, that didn't satisfy the union leaders, adding to their list of demands that the government stop their plans to privatize the docks. The action led to a complete work stoppage - though not classed as a strike - as docks workers blocked the entrances and cranes operated at a snails pace.

Leaders of Sintrajap (the dock workers union) said yesterday that they will not dialogue with the government if it continues with its plans to privatize. For his part, Rodrigo Arias, ministro de la presidencia and the president's brother, said that the government has no intention of dialoguing with the union if it doesn't change its position.

On the other side of the table, Marco Vargas, ministro de Coordinación Institucional, said that once the docks are back to normal, the government will move ahead with plans to offer concessions to private business, as part of integral plan for the Caribbean province.

JOrge Sauma, general manager of the Corporación Bananera Nacional (Corbana) said "we need competitiveness. We hope Sintrajap will return to reason because the government already complied with their demands (payment)."

For his part, Ronaldo Blear, speaking for Sintrajap, said "from here on in what ever happens with the blame of the government... We will not negotiate concessions like the Arias brothers speak of."