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25 February, 2008
Civil unrest has gripped Panama now for two weeks, following the cold-blooded murder on 12 February of a leader of a construction workers’ union. Members of the National Union of Workers in the Construction and Similar Industries (SUNTRACS) were protesting in the Caribbean port city of Colón over inadequate health, safety, and hygiene on the job, when student-leader Al Iromi Smith was shot in the back by a police officer.
The killing, the third by police or agents of a yellow construction union of SUNTRACS members since last August, brought tens of thousands of protesters to the streets in several Panamanian cities between 13-16 February. Those protests continued last week, as SUNTRACS members and their allies passed circulars, with their demands printed, on major avenues in Panama City, Colón, and other cities.
On 16 February, Panama’s President, Martín Torrijos, issued a decree calling for more enforcement and safeguards inside the country’s booming construction market. But that decree did not go far enough in meeting building workers’ demands. In a one-year period to January 2008, 29 construction workers have died on the job, mostly from falls off high-rise buildings that are under construction.
The Global Union Federation, Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), immediately lodged a stern protest over the assassination of Smith, which reportedly occurred as he was entering a medical centre for treatment following street clashes with police. BWI also launched a letter-writing drive to Torrijos and National Police Commander, Rolando Mirones.
Some 30 or more protesters were severely injured in the clashes, with reports of 700 construction workers being detained. SUNTRACS said national police raided construction sites in the days following the 12 February death of Smith, arresting building worker activists and holding them in isolation. The government did arrest the police officer charged in the shooting, as well as another officer who witnessed the killing.
At Smith’s funeral, on 19 February, SUNTRACS leaders said the government and employers’ association still must meet wage demands and impose price freezes on living essentials, such as food, fuel, and housing. A Panamanian growth rate surpassing 10% has caused a 2007 inflation rate of 6.4%, with wages left far behind.
The union is also demanding the dismissal of Interior Minister Daniel Delgado Diamante, a former Noriega aide who is accused of suppressing protests, using strong-armed tactics, means since his appointment last year. They also seek the removal of Police Commander Mirones. SUNTRACS will meet again tomorrow, 26 February, with government leaders and the building employers’ association in attempts to resolve differences.
Meanwhile, following a mass meeting of SUNTRACS members on 23 February in Panama City, the union will partner with a coalition grouping, the National Front for the Defence of Economic and Social Rights (FRENADESO), in calling two warning marches – Thursday, 28 February, and again on 13 March – which would serve as a precursor for a national strike if workers’ demands are not met by the government and employers.