Strike planned at Panama free trade zone

Strike planned at Panama free trade zone    Workers at Panama’s free trade zone, from truck drivers to janitors, will stage a one-day strike Wednesday to protest government plans to hike taxes and fees, according to a Reuters report Sunday.
   The strike is to protest Panama's government's plans to raise fees and taxes on free zone activity, a decision that workers feel could hurt volume through the free zone.
   Giovanni Ferrari, head of the free zone merchants association, said Friday the stoppage would affect all operations, including movement of free-zone goods through ports.
   The Colon free-trade zone is a gateway to the Panama Canal and employs thousands of people responsible for moving goods to and from giant warehouses. It is also a popular tourist stop.