2023-06-13 13:05:11
President Rodrigo Chaves began his second year in government, making a strong offensive to ensure that the Legislative Assembly approves the “flexibility of working hours” project known as the “4 × 3 Law.”
To achieve this objective, the president forgot his media clashes with Liberación Nacional and reached an agreement with this party, guaranteeing Rodrigo Arias the presidency of congress. A classic “give me, what I give you”.
The Legislative Assembly voted to fast track the project and it is only enough for them to agree on details to approve it and turn it into law.
This project has been promoted for many decades by the most powerful business sector in the country and is part of the package of reforms to labor laws, which seek to guarantee a higher rate of exploitation for working people.
Is it a good or bad project for the working class?
The president, the majority of councils, and the entire business sector do not stop talking about the benefits of this bill, and they fill the ears of the working class with lies through the news and social networks.
Many companies will adjust to those days: They even indicate that it is a fundamental project to improve the “competitiveness” of the country, that it will only be applied in companies that work 24 hours a day, and that it will be voluntary for each person if they accept or not to undergo these sessions. They even point out that it is the key to combat unemployment that affects the country so much.
Factories of all kinds, constructions, warehouses, shops and other work centers in the private sector will seek to justify the way to benefit from these sessions.
Overtime will be stolen: The reality is different, first of all, and companies of all kinds apply 12-hour shifts, these shifts without overtime pay have been denounced by the Dos Pinos Union (UDECO) and by the crews of the Puntarenas Ferries , but they are also applied in many companies in free zones, construction companies, plantations, private security, commercial stores, etc. These days are applied today illegally and mandatory.
What the business community is looking for is to stop paying overtime (by extending the day from 8 to 12 hours, the extended four hours would be paid as normal work, not overtime) while creating the opportunity to lay off when the opportunity arises. to eliminate one of the three shifts in which some factories are divided (With an 8-hour day, factories occupy three shifts to work 24×7, with the legalization of 12 hours they would only need two shifts a day).
The approval of this project is a huge montage of lies to justify the theft of overtime and the search for greater exploitation, forcing us to work for that large number of hours, removing us from any possibility of interaction with loved ones, possibility of studying or to have a dignified rest.
The falsehood of having more days off: In fact, many of those companies that today apply 12-hour shifts do not do so for 4 days, but for 5 or 6, which produces enormous effects on the health of workers. There will only be one real rest day, the others may be arranged by the headquarters to recharge work or adjust role changes.
A project that directly affects women: If this project were approved, it would be women who would bear the brunt, especially those who have caregiving or lactation responsibilities, as they are forced to leave their jobs due to the lack of conditions to work and guarantee reproductive work, women will also feel would find themselves at a greater disadvantage when making new contracts by companies.
The cumulative days: Although there is more talk about the days increased to 12 hours, the law also has other issues, such as the possibility that companies have cumulative days, which in fact is that putting the payroll to work overtime does not pay for some periods of the year, and in others with less production they are discounted.
What about the role of the Broad Front?
Currently only the 6 deputations of the Broad Front oppose the project, and faithful to their parliamentary style, they are looking for a way that through the legislative technique the project does not remain so “rude”.
Unfortunately, such strong attacks on the rights and general interests of the working class as a whole cannot be favorably resolved in parliament.
There are sectors that trust the FA councils as “insurance” in the Legislative Assembly, and with that they seek to justify that “the fight is taking place” and without seeing the responsibility of this bench.
Unfortunately, having illusions in the Broad Front councils is a serious mistake, since, even if they use the motto “with one foot on the street and the other in the assembly” from their seats, there will never be a call for a general strike against the destruction of the working day, much less will they call to paralyze the country.
In these types of battles in defense of our rights, the “responsible parliamentary opposition” must be dismissed and strongly criticized by the working class.
What should we do to stop the government?
The 8-hour day was a conquest of the struggle of the working class throughout the world, which forced the creation of laws that guaranteed respect for that day, since before that there were 12- or 16-hour days without restriction.
In Costa Rica, this was achieved until the year 1920 (103 years ago) and to achieve this, thousands of workers mobilized and went on strike throughout the country and throughout several years of struggle.
Despite the great opposition of the business class and the government, the 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep and 8 hours to live was a conquest from below, against the bosses and the government.
That is why the working class must be aware that the struggle can only take place within the class itself, and with its own forces and methods.
In order to stop this attack and those that are coming in line from the big business community and its puppet government, we must move forward in building unions in private companies and thus achieve organizational and political achievements.
Those who work in the public sector must demand from their unions that spaces for democratic discussion be opened urgently, and that daily mobilizations be called to demand that the government and the councils withdraw this project.
We must fight for calls from unions, social movements, women’s organizations, etc. mobilizations and concentrations at night, so that the unity of those who work in the public and private sectors can be given, thus showing their strength and discontent.
These mobilizations must serve to build a great general strike, with the paralysis of companies and institutions, which is the only way to break the government and its anti-working class plans.
On the subject of working days, what should be the objective of the working class?
The increase in working hours is a setback for humanity, which a century ago was in the midst of a struggle to achieve 8 hours to rest, 8 hours to work and 8 hours to live.
In the PT we see that far from accepting an imposition of longer working hours in companies, our fight must be to advance in having a shorter working day, which allows us to gain ground in the time that we can use to live, study, participate in politics, being with our loved ones, etc.
Our fight must be to reduce working hours to 40 hours a week, keeping the same salary, which would also help companies to be forced to hire more staff, creating a new job for every 5 people with reduced hours.
For this reason, from the Workers’ Party we say:
No to the 4×3 law!
Let’s defend our right to rest and live!
Let’s call nightly mobilizations to unite the working class in the streets!
Let’s build a National Meeting of the working class, the women’s movement and other popular organizations against the approval of the 4×3 law!
For militant unions in private companies!
Let’s build the general strike to stop the government!
No confidence in the Government, nor in the corridor negotiations in the Legislative Assembly!
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