No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeTopicsBusinessPublic workers unions planning large protest, likely in March

Public workers unions planning large protest, likely in March

Public employees working in government, education, health, police and coastal docks are spending this month planning the country’s first major strike of the year.

At the center of the upcoming protest is a 0.43 percent minimum wage hike for the public sector, approved on Feb. 4. Workers say the increase is too little to be effective.

On Wednesday, union leaders agreed to postpone the strike, which previously had been scheduled for this month. They will choose the date on Feb. 24, after a meeting with presidential candidates Luis Guillermo Solís, of the Citizen Action Party, and Johnny Araya, of the ruling National Liberation Party.

The strike likely will take place the first week in March. Union leaders say they could block major roads such as Route 27, which connects the capital with the Pacific port of Puntarenas, and Route 32, the main access to the Caribbean province of Limón.

Labor Minister Olman Segura called the strike unjustified, as the government has remained open to dialogue.

“Unions decided they were going to organize (a strike), and they refused to remain at the negotiating table,” Segura said.

The wage increase was issued by executive decree, Segura said, because officials no longer could wait, and unions “walked out of talks.”

Union leaders said the administration was never open to discussing a higher wage hike, and officials unilaterally set the amount by executive decree.

Popular Articles

Poás Volcano Eruptions Deliver Economic Blow to Costa Rican Tourism

The recent eruptions of Poás Volcano in Costa Rica have significantly disrupted tourism in nearby communities, including Poás, Poasito, Fraijanes, Vara Blanca, and Los...

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...

Costa Rica Clausura Update: Saprissa Tops, Santa Ana in Crisis

There are only four rounds to go in the Clausura regular season, and things are heating up at both the top and bottom of...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
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