Latest news with #JoseRaulMulino
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Land of Mahatma Gandhi will not turn the other cheek, will respond': Shashi Tharoor in Panama
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor-led delegation met with President of the Republic of Panama Jose Raul Mulino at the Presidential house. The meeting with Panamanian President comes as part of India's efforts to convey its resolute stance against Pakistan sponsored terrorism. While addressing a gathering in Panama, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said the land of Mahatma Gandhi will not turn the other cheek when terror attacks happen, we will respond." Show more Show less
Time of India
7 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Panama Declares State of Emergency as Chiquita Brands Layoffs Follow Massive Worker Strike, ETHRWorld
Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals Subscribe to our newsletter to get latest insights & analysis. Download ETHRWorld App Get Realtime updates Save your favourite articles Scan to download App Panama City: The Panamanian government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in one province after US banana giant Chiquita Brands laid off about 5,000 workers following a strike that had ground its production to a went on strike a month ago in the province of Bocas del Toro, blocking roads and halting school instruction to protest a pension reform approved by workers have also been striking for the past month over the pension "state of emergency" declaration allows the government to speed past bureaucratic hurdles to address economic or social crises quickly. Bocas del Toro lives off tourism and banana which employed more than 7,000 workers, laid off about 5,000 of them last week for what they called unjustified abandonment of company claims the strike has cost it $75 million in losses and caused irreversible damage to the production of Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino warned Friday that more jobs are on the line if the strikes continue.
France 24
28-05-2025
- Business
- France 24
'State of emergency' in Panama after strike leads to layoffs
Workers went on strike a month ago in the province of Bocas del Toro, blocking roads and halting school instruction to protest a pension reform approved by Congress. Construction workers have also been striking for the past month over the pension reforms. The "state of emergency" declaration allows the government to speed past bureaucratic hurdles to address economic or social crises quickly. Bocas del Toro lives off tourism and banana production. Chiquita, which employed more than 7,000 workers, laid off about 5,000 of them last week for what they called unjustified abandonment of work. The company claims the strike has cost it $75 million in losses and caused irreversible damage to the production of bananas. Right-wing Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino warned Friday that more jobs are on the line if the strikes continue.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'State of emergency' in Panama after strike leads to layoffs
The Panamanian government on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in one province after US banana giant Chiquita Brands laid off about 5,000 workers following a strike that had ground its production to a halt. Workers went on strike a month ago in the province of Bocas del Toro, blocking roads and halting school instruction to protest a pension reform approved by Congress. Construction workers have also been striking for the past month over the pension reforms. The "state of emergency" declaration allows the government to speed past bureaucratic hurdles to address economic or social crises quickly. Bocas del Toro lives off tourism and banana production. Chiquita, which employed more than 7,000 workers, laid off about 5,000 of them last week for what they called unjustified abandonment of work. The company claims the strike has cost it $75 million in losses and caused irreversible damage to the production of bananas. Right-wing Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino warned Friday that more jobs are on the line if the strikes continue. jjr/fj/nn/sla/md
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
US banana giant Chiquita fires thousands over Panama strike
Banana producer Chiquita has announced mass layoffs in Panama amid an ongoing strike. The United States-owned banana giant said on Friday it was letting 'all' daily labourers go for the 'unjustified abandonment of work at our plantations'. Workers have been on strike for more than a month, as part of nation-wide industrial action protesting new social security laws lowering pensions. The government has branded the strikes 'illegal' and said the sackings are the result of workers' 'intransigence'. Chiquita said in a statement that the strike had caused 'irreversible damage ..[and] at least $75 million in losses', adding that those affected by the layoffs are required to collect severance payments. The company did not elaborate on the number of people affected by the decision. However, the Reuters news agency reported that about 5,000 workers out of 6,500 have lost their jobs, referring to an unnamed source. Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino defended Chiquita's actions at a news conference on Thursday. 'The company will have to act accordingly, dismissing those necessary to save its operation in Bocas [a Caribbean province in Panama]. Believe me, it hurts me, but this intransigence is not good,' he said. 'The strike is illegal,' Mulino added. 'The next step according to the Labour Code is dismissal with just cause because this is a de facto strike, not a legitimate strike.' However, Francisco Smith, secretary-general of the Banana Industry Workers Union (Sitraibana), told the Panamanian television channel Telemetro on Thursday that the strike was legal because the 'deputies who approved bill 462 harmed the banana sector'. Passed in March, Bill 462 introduced changes to the Social Security Fund that could lead to a possible reduction in pensions. The introduction of the law led to significant anger, with unions, including banana workers, joining a national strike on April 23. The government and Sitraibana held a preliminary meeting on Thursday to discuss amendments to the bill, which would include protections for banana farmers. Still, Smith said, 'the strike continues, we continue fighting in the streets… The strike is indefinite.' Panama's banana industry is a significant part of the country's economy. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2023, Panama exported $273m worth of bananas, making it the 13th largest exporter in the world.
