No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchivePresident Laura Chinchilla not willing to discuss salary raise

President Laura Chinchilla not willing to discuss salary raise

President Laura Chinchilla rejected the possibility of increasing public employees’ salary raises after thousands of them rallied at Casa Presidencial Wednesday morning to protest the government’s decree to raise salaries by only ₡5,000 ($10) a month.

The protesters, who joined a one-day strike called by public sector unions, covered a large portion of Avenida 2 in San José on their march between the Finance Ministry and Casa Presidencial in the southeastern district of Zapote.

Slogans taken up during the march included “Aumentos = limosnas” (“Raises = cbarity”) and “Ni un paso atrás” (“Not one step back”).

Among other lawmakers, Claudio Monge of the Citizen Action Party (PAC) joined the protest, calling the raise decree “an offense that undermined the country’s labor laws.”

Chinchilla said she regretted workers’ attitudes toward a problem that “does not justify crippling essential services for the people.” Officials have stated the government is open to negotiate with union representatives but maintains it will not further raise salaries.

The movement included government employees, teachers and public health, port and telecommunications workers, among others, although work stoppages were only partial, government officials said.

The unions rejected the government’s decision to unilaterally determine the amount of public employees’ salary increases, after a failed negotiation attempt in January.

Finance Ministry officials argued that under current conditions, “with a fiscal deficit of almost 5 percent of gross domestic product, it is not possible to provide a higher raise without causing a greater imbalance in public finances.”

Police barriers blocked access to Casa Presidencial, to protesters’ agitation, but no major incidents were reported.

Popular Articles

Costa Rica Grants Humanitarian Status to U.S. Deported Migrants

Approximately 200 migrants deported from the United States to Costa Rica’s Southern Zone have been granted a special humanitarian status, offering them temporary legal...

Pope Francis Passes Away at 88, Leaving Legacy of Compassion

The Vatican announced the passing of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope today at 7:35 a.m. (5:35 a.m. GMT). He was 88. The...

VIDEO: Poás Volcano Erupts with 3.5 km Ash Plume, OVSICORI Reports

This morning at approximately 5:15 a.m., Poás Volcano erupted yet again, producing a significant ash plume that soared 3.5 kilometers above the crater, according...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait

Latest Articles