The IUF has strongly condemned the decision of Chiquita Panama to fire 5000 workers at its plantations in Bocas del Toro, Panama. The news of the firings came on May 22, 2025 alongside an announcement that Chiquita was suspending its administrative, planting, packing and export operations in Bocas del Toro.
- Workers in Panama have been protesting for several months over government plans to reduce social security provisions, especially pensions (law 462). Health, education, construction and banana workers will be hardest hit by the changes and, faced with government intransigence to their concerns, began indefinite strike action in late April. The strikes and demonstrations have been met with police repression and threats of legal action by the government. On May 27, the government declared a state of emergency in Bocas del Toro, increasing tension and fears of repression.
- Chiquita claims that it had no option but to close its operations as it was facing losses of USD 75 million as a result of the strike. However, Francisco Smith, General Secretary of the banana workers union SITRAIBANA, in an interview with IUF Latin America, denounced the sackings as “totally illegal because they do not respect the procedures of the law, adding “it is a manoeuvre by the companies in collusion with the government to eliminate unions.”
- Chiquita, originally a US company, was bought in 2015 by the Brazilian-based Cutrale-Safra Group, a joint venture of the Cutrale Group, the world’s largest orange and orange juice producer and the private banking conglomerate, Grupo Safra.
- The IUF Executive Committee meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 21 & 22, heard from Regional Secretary, Gerardo Iglesias about the deteriorating situation in Panama under the government of President José Raúl Mulino Quintero who was “increasing its persecution of opponents of the pension reform and intransigent to union demands.” The EC expressed its support for Saúl Méndez, general secretary of the construction union, SUNTRACS, forced by death threats into exile in the Bolivian embassy.
IUF Acting General Secretary has written to Chiquita expressing his “grave concern” at the sackings and calling for an urgent meeting.
