Banana workers in Panama are losing jobs – level 2

Banana workers in Panama are losing jobs

12-06-2025 07:00

Chiquita is a big banana company from the US.

It wants to stop working in Panama and will let go of all its workers. In May, it already let go of 5,000 workers. The workers were unhappy about new pension laws and started a strike. The court said the strike was illegal, but it still went on.

Panama’s president says this is very bad for the country. Many people work on banana farms, and if the farms close, 7,000 people will lose their jobs. This will cause problems like less food and fuel, and many schools may close.

The government hopes to find a solution. They want to talk with the workers and the company, but the workers don’t want to talk. If they don’t find a way, life will be harder for many people.

Difficult words: pension (money people get after they stop working), go on (to continue), solution (a way to fix a problem).

You can watch the original video in the Level 3 section.

What problems could Panama face if Chiquita closes its farms and 7,000 people lose their jobs?

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