Panama denies union violations, vows to prove it to ILO

Panama's Labor Minister Jackeline Muñoz on Thursday rejected claims of union freedom violations, asserting that the country has approximately 546 active unions dedicated to workers' rights, not their leaders. She emphasized that Panama boasts numerous active unions engaged in conciliation and mediation within the Ministry of Labor.

Muñoz pointed to a recent instance where 123 unions collaborated for national peace and worker benefits, successfully averting 123 strikes. She praised this effort, stating that over 69,000 workers have benefited thanks to the work of unions and confederations, a contribution the Ministry of Labor and Development (Mitradel) values.

The minister's remarks were a response to a report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) that included accusations regarding the detention and prosecution of leaders from the Single Union of Construction (Suntracs). Mitradel has requested the dissolution of Suntracs, the country's most powerful union, and the ILO has sought information from the Panamanian state.

Mitradel filed a lawsuit in July 2025 seeking Suntracs' dissolution, citing allegations of extortion, vandalism, defrauding members, abuse of power, and misuse of state funds. These accusations followed massive protests against a pension reform and the country's mining policy. The judicial case against Suntracs, which has a history of leading street protests on non-labor issues, including mining in 2023 and social security reform in 2024, was initiated in 2022 by over 400 former construction project workers who accused the union's leadership of fraud.

Suntracs leaders, including its general secretary Saúl Méndez, who is a fugitive from Panamanian justice and had sought asylum in Bolivia, claim political persecution. Minister Muñoz noted that Suntracs leaders had extensive ties with the ILO, traveling frequently to its Switzerland headquarters using funds from workers and the state. She explained that the ILO's inquiry is a standard observation mechanism requiring Panama to submit documentation on the situation, which is currently being done.