There is concern about the crisis in the banana sector in Bocas del Toro, if the company closes, 6,000 jobs will be lost

More than 300 closures have been registered in the province of Bocas del Toro, during the administration of President Laurentino Cortizo, according to what was stated by the Minister of Labor and Labor Development Doris Zapata, who revealed that five of those closures are due to problems between workers and the banana company.
After the recent closures due to the conflict between the Chiquita company and the workers, the minister said that they have been summoning the company sector on the one hand and the workers on the other so that they sit down to talk and that the Ministry of Labor and Labor Development plays the role of mediator in this problem.
“Today we have the presence of both the managers of the company and the workers, in a sincere conversation, where we are looking for the meeting points to be able to solve the situation that we have at this moment in the province of Bocas del Toro,” he specified.

And it is that the crisis in the banana sector in this province could cause the closure of the Chiquita company in Bocas del Toro, and according to Raúl Gigena, director of Human Resources of the company, if it closes, about 6 thousand jobs would be lost, due to what they are looking for alternatives to cope with the crisis and that this does not happen.

“We are aware of the impact that our company has for the country and the province,” he said, noting that in the last seven years investments have been made for an approximate amount of $35 million dollars in infrastructure and equipment that have directly benefited the the province of Bocas del Toro.

He explained that production in Panama has not been yielding the expected results and that the situation is critical because they have lagged behind compared to other companies worldwide.

By highlighting his concern about the constant closures that affect the economy of the province.
For his part, the Minister of Agricultural Development, Augusto Valderrama, said that a change of attitude is necessary and not look for situations that complicate the movement within the province and that hinder investments and entrepreneurs who have to move within the province.
“I think that we must find a new method of protest like in the park, in front of the government, but closing the only access road to take the food to the province of Panama and take the bananas to the Almirante cannot be the right thing to do.” so there has to be a change,” he said.
He highlighted the importance of maintaining banana production, which is currently a source of employment for some 50,000 people who live in the province of Bocas del Toro.