The Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) criticized the strike calls made by several teachers’ unions to oppose the bill that legislators are discussing to regulate strikes in the public sector.
On the other hand, the body that groups US companies that have operations on Costa Rican soil called on legislators to accelerate the discussion and vote on the bill that provides legal security on strikes and their procedures.
The intentions of the American businessmen is that the interests of all Costa Ricans are protected as soon as possible, according to their press release.
We want to draw attention to the fact that abuses to exercise the right to strike cannot be protected by law. If we do not put an end to this situation, the rights of all Costa Ricans will be violated. The right to strike exercised to the detriment of others will only affect social coexistence, destroy jobs and hinder economic growth,”
said Elías Soley, president of Amcham.
The previous strike, reduced the expected economic growth of the country by 0.4 percentage points, according to Central Bank estimates, which is equivalent to ¢ 138.7 billion. This, added to all the students who stopped receiving lessons for 93 days,”
lamented the camera in the statement.
The draft law that provides legal security on strikes and their procedures strives to declare that strikes that affect essential public services that affect life, health and safety are illegal.
It also establishes as the only cause to dissolve a union that organizes or incites its members to block public roads, or sabotage State property, or if it carries out any action that is classified as a crime.
In addition, the proposal contemplates the wage reduction for public employees who participate in strikes that are declared illegal by a judge.