Union leaders say their main demands include a wage increase, improved working conditions and the implementation of a strategy to reduce long waiting times for medical appointments. They are also urging the government to pay what they describe as a multimillion-dollar debt owed to the country’s public health system.

Union members are expected to gather at the main facilities of the Social Security in downtown San José beginning at 9 a.m. Additional demonstrations are planned at public hospitals and clinics nationwide.

Police are advising drivers to avoid traveling through San José during the protest hours. Officers will be deployed at key points across the city to help redirect traffic.

In response, the Social Security system said it has activated an emergency plan in hospitals and clinics across the country to ensure continuity of services.

Health authorities emphasized that medical services, including appointments, surgeries and medication dispensing, are expected to continue despite the demonstrations. Patients are encouraged to attend their scheduled appointments.

Costa Rica enacted Law No. 21,049 in 2020, known as the “Law to Provide Legal Security on Strikes and Their Procedures,” which regulates strikes, protests and marches by public employees. The law prohibits strikes that affect essential public services, including health care.

Under the legislation, unions are required to maintain sufficient staffing levels in public hospitals and clinics to prevent service disruptions during a strike. It also restricts marches in public spaces and mandates that employees return to work after demonstrations conclude.

The Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) is the state-run institution responsible for overseeing the country’s public health sector.

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