End of preview - This article contains approximately 202 words.
Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article
Not a Subscriber?
Choose from one of the following options
Back
LatinNews Regional Monitor: Caribbean & Central America - 26 June 2018
In brief: Costa Rica
Costa Rica: The government has made a formal request to the country’s labour court to declare the national strike held by trade unions on 25 June illegal. The strike was called in protest at the tax reform and austerity measures proposed by President Carlos Alvarado which aim to reduce the fiscal deficit. The impact of the strike was felt nationwide principally in the public health sector. Statistics released by Costa Rica’s social security fund (CCSS) showed that 50% of consultation services were affected by the strike, with all scheduled operations in hospitals outside the capital postponed. The education system was also widely affected, according to the education ministry, with 81% of personnel including teachers, administrative staff, and officials adhering to it. Elsewhere, the walkout impacted to a lesser extent on the state-run oil refining firm, Recope, and the state-owned electricity and telecommunications provider, ICE, among others. The deputy minister for employment, Juan Alfaro, declared that the strike was illegal because it did not comply with the 2017 labour reform, which prohibits strikes in essential services such as the health sector. The declaration of illegality of the strike is the first step towards sanctioning those who participated through a reduction in their salary.
