Strike looks set for Wednesday

PANAMA. “Nothing comes in, nothing goes out!” This was the slogan chanted by workers in the Duty-Free Zone in Colon who are planning to go on strike on Wednesday.

This will be only their second strike in 15 years. But the members of the Duty-Free Zone Users Association (AU) know that the only way to get the government’s attention is to paralyze the whole city, not just the zone itself. So they are asking for help from their colleagues in the Cargo Transport and Chamber of Business sectors.

Various strategies were still on the table yesterday and it was not clear if roads into the city would be blocked with trucks and ZLC workers or if they were planning to come into the city itself to protest in front of the parliament buildings.

On average, around $55 million a day exchanges hands in the ZLC every day as deals are negotiated with some 400 international buyers.

The new taxes that the government wants to impose have come at the worst time, according to Geovanni Ferrari, president of the AU.

He says that the lack of business in the ZLC has already lead to 1,000 workers losing their jobs.

“The new taxes will mean that many businesses are going to face serious economic difficulties so even more people are going to be out of work.”

Last Wednesday, taxes on the ZLC were increased by $40 million and, according to Ferrari, budget adjustments that are currently on the table could mean another $100 million in tax increases. Currently, taxes paid by ZC users amount to somed $66.6 million per year.

The coordinator of the 2,000 cargo transporters who work in the ZLC, Oscar Grenald, said that his workers will back the AU. This could mean that some 500 container trucks will not be moving on Wednesday, at a loss of $83,000 dollars.