The ITF-affiliated Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Industria de la Aviación Civil y Similares (SIELAS) in Panama succeeded in signing a CBA (collective bargaining agreement) with the air cargo company COPADASA on 14 June, after two months of negotiations and a strike declaration by the union.
The CBA will be valid for four years and is eligible for salary negotiation every two years, in order that wages will not be absorbed by inflation. The union achieved clauses including a subsidy for clinical spectacles and contact lenses, increased life insurance policy, incentives for retiring workers, a personal risks subsidy for disabled workers, training for all workers, classification of roles and additional protection against HIV-AIDS discrimination.
COPADASA is a subsidiary of logistics giant UPS and is based in the cargo area at Tocumen International Airport.
Antonio Fritz, ITF Americas regional secretary, commented: "SIELAS is a clear example of leadership and collective bargaining for transport union workers in the Americas. We congratulate the union and its members, who have managed to fight and negotiate for fair labour conditions, for their determination and we urge them to keep that commitment and dedication to achieve for all workers in the civil aviation and logistics industries in Panama the right to be represented and protected by a CBA."
UPS is one of the global delivery multinationals ITF unions are targeting, to fight for rights and standards for all workers, regardless of country or employment status, by connecting activists along company lines. Find out more about the global delivery network here.
