Panama’s National Union of Construction and Related Industry Workers (SUNTRACS) denounced that the government of right-wing President José Raúl Mulino is seeking to dissolve the country’s most militant union.
“They couldn’t defeat us in the streets, nor could they silence our struggle. Now they’re trying to do it in the courts. Minister, the dignity of workers cannot be dissolved on a whim,” states the union, which led major protests against the Mulino government’s economic reforms, which protesters labeled “neoliberal and pro-American.”
In fact, in mid-2025, labor unions, students, indigenous movements, teachers, healthcare and agricultural workers, and others demanded that the administration halt its reforms. Among their demands were:
- The annulment of a social security law that increases working hours and reduces the pensions received by the elderly.
- The termination of the security agreements signed with the US military, which protestors say expand its influence and surrender Panamanian territory for US military bases, a concession made in response to threats from the Trump administration to retake control of the Panama Canal.
- The permanent closure of the country’s largest copper mine, which the government seeks to reopen after it was shut down, following massive mobilizations a couple of years ago.
Although the workers managed to sustain their protests for several weeks, the Panamanian justice system initiated a series of legal proceedings against SUNTRACS leaders, forcing its top leader to flee the country to avoid possible arrest, as well as the prosecution of several others. The union has denounced these trials as “lawfare” aimed at persecuting militant workers.
According to SUNTRACS, once again, the institutional framework is being used to persecute and dissolve the most important union in the Central American country. In response, the organization has vowed to resist: “The unity of the dignified working class, firm in its principles and unwavering in its discipline in defense of the rights of workers and the humble, honest, and hardworking people, defends its union.”
SUNTRACS leader Irving Pinzón said, “This is the first time a government in Panama has attempted to dissolve a union.” The government argues that SUNTRACS has strayed from the objectives for which it was created and that its dissolution is therefore justified. However, Pinzón asserts that this is merely a pretext to destroy one of the country’s most important opposition groups, and that it is not true that his organization has strayed from the objectives for which it was created.
“We will prove this using the documents that detail all the activities we have carried out on behalf of workers, in defense of the working class. We hope that we can develop our defense within the framework of the law, that you will show us your full solidarity, and that you will stand with us in this crucial struggle in which the very existence of our organization is at stake,” concluded Pinzón.
ILO report confirms violations against SUNTRACS
In a recent report, the ILO has confirmed that there are illegal restrictions against SUNTRACS through actions that hinder the exercise of trade union activities. It has also warned that the measures taken by Panamanian authorities “constitute a violation of fundamental rights related to freedom of association.”
Furthermore, the ILO has reported certain mechanisms employed by the Panamanian government that are “economically suffocating” the union through restrictions on its accounts that affect the union’s operations. Finally, the report notes with concern the actions directed against SUNTRACS leaders, which negatively impact trade union activities in the Central American country.
In response to the report, SUNTRACS asserts that the process seeking to dissolve the Panamanian union falls precisely within the scope of the actions that the ILO has noted with concern, regarding which it calls on the Mulino administration to end its measures against the union.
SUNTRACS demands that Panamanian authorities guarantee the free exercise of trade union rights by adopting measures “that ensure respect for labor rights in accordance with international standards.”
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