Caribbean & Central America - February 2015 (ISSN 1741-4458)

Unions unhappy over wages increase: Leaders of Costa Rica’s principal trade unions have reported the government to the International Labour Organization (ILO) in protest at the recent negotiations over wage rises. Union leaders argue that the government only negotiated the settlement for public sector workers which was signed on 4 February and establishes increases of between 1.08% and 1.60% for the first semester of the year, with smaller, less significant unions. Gilberto Cascante, the president of the national association of teachers (ANDE) said that the executive had acted arbitrarily to fix the wage increase following the withdrawal of the main unions from talks. “We asked the labour minister to give us time to examine the proposals in our administrative boards, and he said no. Therefore he negotiated with only those who were willing to stay, and those were minority trade unionists,” he said.

Wage negotiations between the government and the largest public sector unions have been acrimonious for some time, but taking the dispute to the ILO raises the stakes. Union leaders are now discussing further strike action. Victor Morales, the labour minister, said that the increase was fully compliant with the law. “At the negotiation table there was always a quorum; there has always been a quorum to take the decision,” he said.