The Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados (ANEP) – Costa Rica’s national union of public and private employees – has made an official call for one and all to get out join the traditional march of May 1, as part of Labour Day actitivites.
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May 1 is a national holiday in Costa Rica.
[/su_column]International Workers’ Day is a celebration of the international labour movement that occurs on May Day, May 1, a national holiday in more than 80 countries, and celebrated unofficially in many other countries. In some countries the public holiday is officially Labour Day while in others the public holiday marks the traditional Spring festival known as May Day.
In Costa Rica, every four years, May 1 also serves as the inauguration of a new Legislative Assembly.
Back to the ANEP union.
ANEP Secretary General, Albino Vargas, says there are six specific requests, the main being the concerns over the wage situation in the country, which includes increasing the minimum wage for the private sector.
The march is also against Presidenta Laura Chinchilla and her veto to the Reforma Procesal Laboral (RPL) – Labour Process Reform – and changes to the tax system.
“Let those who have more (wealthy) pay their taxes and stop stealing or avoid paying, promoting a declaration of emergency to combat tax evasion in all its forms”, Vargas said in an official statement.
The union leaders said that part of their requests are the “freeing” of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) or Caja, which is being “hijacked” but the powerful corporate groups.
The union is also looking for a national food policy and the strengthening of public services like water and electricity.
