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16,313 employees are on
strike, which is
equivalent to 30 percent
of the total number of
Social Security employees.
/ Social Security Union
courtesy photo.
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Despite
the strike, Social Security
authorities ask patients to
show up for medical
appointments
By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
On Wednesday, the third day of
the strike of Social Security
employees' union, Román
Macaya-Hayes, president of the
institution calls on patients to
go to their medical
appointments.
"It is our responsibility to
tell the people to come to their
scheduled appointment, we cannot
tell them not to go because
Social Security is closed," said
Macaya-Hayes. "We have to
guarantee that the patient has
the right to health, and we are
making every effort to make this
possible,"
According to Macaya-Hayes, this
strike is for a salary issue,
which must be negotiated. For
that reason, Social Security
authorities call on employees to
report to work and not continue
on strike. On Monday, he
requested the Labor Court to
declare the strike illegal.
According to Social Security
statistics, 50 percent of
medical appointments were
canceled on Monday and Tuesday.
In that same period, 1,073
surgeries were scheduled, yet
only 217 were performed.
The number of employees on
strike rose from 12,018 to
16,313, which is equivalent to
30 percent of the total number
of employees.
The majority of striking
employees are from the nursing
department, Social Security
said.
The health centers that continue
to work had to implement
contingency plans for attending
to patients or providing
services. "As part of these
actions, personnel substitutions
have been used to replace the
workers who joined the strike,"
said Social Security in its
statement.
According to Macaya-Hayes, one
of the reasons union members
went on strike is due to false
news that the institution would
be privatized in the near
future. "Nobody is privatizing
Social Security," said Macaya.
Another false statement is
regarding changes in the form of
salary payment to employees.
"The form of salary payment has
not changed and," said
Macaya-Hayes. "we are working on
a bill to keep transferring
salary payment every two weeks
because the change has no impact
on the institution finances."
According to the Social Security
Union, know as Undeca, they are
protesting mainly against the
bill No.21.097, which seeks to
establish a list of essential
public services, including
medical services, in which
employees' right to strike may
be limited or restricted.
The union is also complaining
about "the government, political
parties, and deputies that have
been promoting the privatization
of the Social Security, due to
business interests," said union
in its statement.
According to the union's
statement, the political parties
approved the Law to Strengthen
Public Finances, which intends
to be applied to Social
Security. That will leave the
decision to the Minister of
Finance to manage the
institution's budget to pay for
health services, medicines, and
the construction of new care
centers, among others.
Unions are also complaining
about the General Concessions
Law "that allows privatization
in the administration of health
centers," they said in its
statement.
Unions have been on strike since
Monday and will continue until
Friday.
Due to the strike, only
Emergency rooms are working as
usual.
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Should health care workers be
striking before going into
negotiations with the
government? We
would like to know your thoughts
on this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
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