Hundreds of public employees from Costa Rican schools, universities and hospitals on Friday morning marched from downtown San José to Casa Presidencial, in the southeast district of Zapote, to oppose government-proposed salary measures.
Legislators from the ruling Citizen Action Party, Broad Front Party and Social Christian Unity Party last week presented a bill at the Legislative Assembly to reform the country’s Labor Law, including a proposal that would eliminate a ban on strikes by some public workers, approved by the previous administration.
The National Housing Forum, which groups 53 citizen organizations across the country, announced a national protest slated for Sept. 2 due to “the government’s lack of action” on promises to provide housing for the poor.
Teachers’ unions representing some 70,000 educators agreed to a proposal Monday presented by the Catholic Church to put an end to a strike that has dragged on for nearly a month and complicated the start to President Luis Guillermo Solís’ term.
Public school representatives Wednesday at noon rejected an agreement drafted last night by union leaders and government officials to end the nationwide teachers' strike that started May 5.
Costa Rican Educators Union President Gilberth Díaz on Friday said a nationwide teachers' strike would continue into a fourth week. Unions will evaluate future actions on Tuesday, following payment reports they are expected to receive from members on Monday.
As the teachers’ strike entered its third week and a possible general strike loomed, Education Minister Sonia Mora announced an agreement with the Costa Rican Banking Association to pay thousands of teachers back pay dating back six months in some cases.
Education Minister Sonia Mora on Thursday said officials are conducting an intervention of the ministry’s human resources department to determine the causes of a major failure in a new salary payment system that has prevented thousands of teachers from being paid, some for several months.
Leaders from public teachers' unions in Costa Rica on Tuesday accused the Education Ministry (MEP) of failing to live up to a promise to deliver back pay Monday night, as reported by The Tico Times yesterday. Teachers will continue striking.
