No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsletterTeachers' strike reaches 9th day

Teachers’ strike reaches 9th day

Hundreds of public educators on Thursday blocked the main access roads to the southeastern San José district of Zapote, where Casa Presidencial is located, in the second week of a nationwide strike over back pay.

Thousands of elementary and high school teachers have not received their full salaries from the government, some since February. The Education Ministry has blamed the backlog on problems with a new computer system to process payment information.

Teachers’ unions on Wednesday met with Education Minister Sonia Martha Mora, but talks were suspended the next day after the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

Mora said the government would make three payments on May 19, 23 and 28, but union leaders rejected the proposal. On Thursday evening, Mora will appear before the Legislative Assembly to brief lawmakers about the situation.

“The education sector is maintaing the strike to demand full back pay for thousands of educators. That is the only condition we will accept in order to end our protest. We reiterate our call for parents not to send their children to school until we declare an end to the strike,” the Costa Rican Education Union (SEC) said in a statement.

On Thursday, teachers blocked the Garantías Sociales roundabout  at 9 a.m., and long lines of vehicles stretched from the center of Zapote to Casa Presidencial and several surrounding blocks.

National Association of Educators (ANDE) President Gilberto Cascante said protests would continue until all teachers are paid. He added that several other protests are taking place throughout the country.

Today’s protests mark the ninth day of the nationwide strike, which on Friday will move to the capital’s Central Park, where teachers will gather at 9 a.m. to march along San José’s Second Avenue.

Trending Now

Latin America Questions US Boat Strikes in the Drug War

US military strikes that Washington claims have targeted "narco-terrorists" ferrying drugs to American soil are having little to no impact on Latin America's bustling...

Paris Louvre Robbery Targets Apollo Gallery Crown Jewels

Robbers wielding power tools scaled a furniture hoist outside the Louvre to make off with priceless jewelry from the world-renowned museum on Sunday, taking...

Costa Rica Expat Guide to Creative DIY Home Repairs

My family was recently cleaning up our backyard, tidying up the mass of branches that had been ditched on the property by the local...

Tamarindo Halloween Fest Boosts Local Economy

The coastal town of Tamarindo will host its fourth Halloween Fest from October 29 to November 1, drawing families, athletes, artists, and local business...

Costa Rica Residency Backlog Hits 38,000 in October

Immigrants in Costa Rica continue to deal with long waits for their residence cards, known as DIMEX, as the immigration system struggles with backlogs....

US sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro

The United States announced on Friday financial sanctions against Colombian President Gustavo Petro for failing to combat drug trafficking, drawing a strong response from...
L. Arias
L. Arias
Reporter | The Tico Times |
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica