Old law for dock workers repealed

The Government of Panama has fulfilled another commitment with dockworkers.

President Ricardo Martinelli repealed a law enacted in 1979 that regulated work in the port terminals of Balboa and Cristobal.

Dock workers are now covered by the Labor Code.

The new law, No. 60 of October 4, 2012 buries an old provision in effect for the past 33 years that paid workers on an hourly basis without the protections of the Labor Code and was the cause of several labor disputes, culminating with the strike in the two ports in March and April this year.

Through the mediation of the Labor Minister, Alma Cortés, the workers and Panama Ports Company (PPC), licensee of Balboa and Cristobal, agreed that labor-management relations in both terminals will be governed by the Labor Code.

Law 60 of October 4, 2012, which repeals Act 34 of 1979, regulating work in those ports, will go into effect within 90 days of its enactment.