A group of legislators came together to block the bill to curtail strikes approved on Tuesday. The Partido Nueva Republica bloc legislators obtained the required 10 signatures to send the to a Constitutional Court consultation.
The PRN legislators are Jonathan Prendas, Carmen Chan, Ignacio Alpízar, Marulin Azofeifa, Ivonne Acuña, Harllan Hoepelman and Nidia Céspedes. Supporting the consultation as well, Wálter Muñoz of PIN, Dragos Donalescu of the Republicano Social Cristiano and Shirley Díaz of the PUSC.
The legislators argue that there are indications related both to the form, that is, the legislative procedure that was used for the approval, and to the substance of several matters included in the bill.
“It seems to us that the proposal in several points becomes extremist and disproportionate. In several articles of the text you can see concepts that are not clearly defined and that would be left to the free interpretation of the one that applies the norm generating legal insecurity such as strikes policies and strikes against public policies,” legislator Carmen Chan said in a press release.
The move blocks the bill from reaching the legislative floor scheduled for today (Thursday), making the second and final vote impossible.
The bill, among other items, curtails strike by teachers to a maximum of 21 days and ‘political strikes’ to 48 hours, as well salaries of strikers would be docked if the strike is not deemed legal. On the last point, currently, strikes are deemed legal until a court rules otherwise, a process that can take months.
The Constitutional Court has up to 30 days to respond.
Meanwhile, both the APSE and ANDE, two of the most powerful public sector workers unions announced a new demonstration on the outskirts the Legislative Assembly building starting at 9:00 am this morning.
“It is an important day to press and send this bill to the Sala IV (Constitutional Court), we believe it is an important resource that can prove us right,” said Roblin Apú of the APSE.
The unionist added that they will continue to maintain the pressure and that for the moment there will be no “closure to the struggle.”
