The players of the Panamanian soccer league will go on strike on the next date of the opening tournament to be played this weekend, in demand of various labor rights, informed the representative of the soccer players, Juan Ramón Solís.
“By not having an agreement, we have obviously had to maintain the position of cessation of work,” Solís told the TVN-2 channel, after meeting with representatives of the clubs, the League and the Panamanian Soccer Federation in search of an agreement to avoid the strike.
Panamanian soccer players are demanding that their right to social security and employment benefits be recognized in a semi-professional league of 12 teams where players earn an average monthly salary of about $2,500.
The strike would affect day 12 of the Opening Tournament, scheduled for Saturday and Sunday this weekend.
After eleven dates played, San Miguelito and Alianza lead the Eastern Conference table, while Atlético Chiriquí and Club Atlético Independiente lead the Western Conference.
According to Solís, the soccer players would have agreed to receive their employment benefits from 2023 to give the clubs time to prepare for these economic demands. However, there was no agreement.
“We keep the doors open to continue dialoguing,” said Solís.
The Panamanian Soccer League stated in a statement its “commitment to continue the talks” between the parties involved to “reach agreements that are beneficial for the fans and the players.”
In Panama, soccer has been gaining fans over baseball and boxing. Now, Dely Valdés and the late Rommel Fernández compete in popularity with boxing legend Roberto ‘Manos de piedra’ Durán and former New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera.
Panama’s senior team managed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in Russia-2018, but their league still lacks large infrastructures, stadiums or high-performance centers.
Tauro, a team from Panama City and current champion of the Closing Tournament-2021, is the most successful Panamanian team, with 16 crowns, followed by Árabe Unido, a team from the Caribbean city of Colón, with 15.
