-Published: Wednesday, January 15, 2020-




By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Lawmakers in an initial vote have approved revisions in a controversial bill that regulates public employee strikes. The vote late Tuesday was 35 to 15.

The additional voting was needed after Supreme Court magistrates questions some aspects of the measure. In Costa Rica, the high court can be asked to consider the constitutionality and legality of pending legislation.

The bill is No. 21.049, entitled Law to provide legal security on the strike and its procedures.

The new law would regulate and classify as essential public services, and strikes would be prohibited in these areas. The prohibitions generally apply to public jobs affecting life, health and safety of people, such as hospitalization, home care, outpatient consultation, medical exams, laboratory tests, pharmacy, laundry, surgeries and emergencies.

Also included are public police, air and immigration workers, those in rail transport, maritime loading and unloading at docks, providing medications, operating medical equipment, providing energy  and involved in transportation.

The education sector also is part of these critical services, and the new law would establish that during a strike, enough employees need to continue working at the public schools, high schools and universities, among others.

With the new law, the maximum period allowed for a strike is 10 days. After that workers must return to their jobs.

One of the deputies who voted in favor of the bill was Yorleny León, who said that the country needs to have a law to regulates strikes and protect the rights of people who are affected by strikes.

One of the deputies who voted against the bill, was José María Villalta, who said that the law was born from revenge, to punish public workers who opposed new taxes  in 2018.

The second round voting, as required for the bill to become law, will be held during the session Thursday.

In 2019 the members of the National Association of Educators,  the high school teachers union and National Association of Public and Private Employees went on strike protesting the bill.

According to the Ministry of Public Education, as a result of union strikes during 2018 and 2019, students at public elementary schools and high schools have lost 100 days of lessons.

"More strikes in this last semester will cause students to lose two consecutive annual study programs, the one of 2018, which we have not yet recovered, and this year," said Minister Guiselle Cruz in September.

According to the ministry, union strikes are generating an inequality among students in public versus private schools, because the students of private schools have not lost lessons and not suffered from the stress caused by the teacher's strike.





 
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