Workers at the Refinadora Costarricense de Petróleo (Recope) – state refinery – were on strike yesterday, shutting down all operations, including the filling of tanker trucks for delivery to gasoline stations.
However, the effect was not felt by the public, no gasoline stations reported being out of fuel and drivers making lines at the pumps.
According to the head of the worker’s union, Gilbert Brown, the strike was to call the attention of management and the government on the recent Comptroller’s office criticism with respect to overtime work hours and pay.
Brown said the intention of the strike was to affect the public and as such it did not.
For their part, in anticipation of the strike Thursday by workers of the Sindicato de Trabajadores Petroleros Químicos y Afines (Sitrapequia), Recope extended hours for filling tankers to ensure gas stations would have fuel for Thursday.
Recope has 1.650 employees of which some 90% belong to the Sitrapequia union that has represented workers for the past 46 years.
The flow of gasoline at Recope depots was back to normal this morning. Reports that truckers lined up the Recope plants in the early hours anticipation of the expected lifting of the strike action.
