Politics

Unions cross party lines

la prensa

not unified: In past elections, the country’s labor unions have solidly supported the PRD. But that does not appear to be the case in the upcoming election, as leaders are divided over which candidate to back.1130522

When Ernesto Pérez Balladares won the presidency in 1994, the Partido Revolucionario Democrático enjoyed the support of many of the country's labor unions.

Today, that sector is much more divided than it was 14 years ago, and labor leaders say they have no idea who their members plan to support in the upcoming election.

José Pedroza, coordinator of the National Council of Workers, said that it has not decided to officially support any of the candidates because there is no clear consensus within the union, which has traditionally been a solid PRD voting block.

“We are not all PRD,” Pedroza said.

Pedroza, who is also secretary general of the Confederation of Workers Trade Union, stated he is a Panameñista party supporter, but did not say whether or not he would stand behind that party's presidential candidate.

Norma Cano, of the National Center of Workers, recently accompanied PRD candidate Balbina Herrera on a tour of Brazil, whose president is a former labor leader, Luis Inácio Lula Da Silva.

Marcos Allen, of the Federation of Workers in Colón, was formerly the vice president of the Trade Union Front of the PRD, but complained that the party left labor behind. Today, he is a supporter of the Unión Patriótica party, which supports candidate Ricardo Martinelli.

Mariano Mena, secretary general of the General Confederation of Workers, believes that the current candidates only offer more of the same.

While union leaders are divided on their support of a political party, they do agree that any reforms to the country's Labor Code need to be rejected.

One segment of the labor force that is not supporting any candidate is FRENADESO, a militant union that was expelled from the National Council of Workers at the beginning of the year.

That union, which has the support of SUNTRACS, a union that represents many construction workers, says that participating in the election would be a “farce,” as its members oppose many of the policies enacted by the government that they consider anti-labor. The union is seeking to make major changes to the way the country is governed.