Thousands of workers on a project to expand the Panama Canal have agreed to end a strike that had paralysed construction for a week. The stoppage was called off after the consortium in charge of the works agreed to increase the minimum wage. The USD5.25 billion project to widen the Panama Canal and double its capacity is due to be complete in 2014.
The waterway linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans already handles around 5% of world trade.
The multi-national consortium Grupos Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) said workers had accepted a 13% increase to the minimum wage and would go back to work on Monday. Union leaders said their members had accepted the deal, which increases the minimum hourly wage from USD2.90 to USD3.34.
The company had already agreed to give back pay for overtime and Sundays.