Legislative Commission
For Women Rejects
Maternity Leave Proposal
The Comisión Legislativa
de la Mujer (Legislative
Commission for Women)
voted against the draft
law to reduce
discrimination against
working women. That
proposed law was
introduced by legislator
Mario Quiros, of the
Movimiento Libertario.
The rejection by the
commission buried the
chances of the proposal
making it becoming law.
The proposal was for the
Caja Costarricense de
Seguro Social (CCSS) to
pay 100% of the
maternity leave costs.
According to Quirós such
a provision would have
provided incentives to
employers to hire more
women and reduce the
charge placed on the
shoulders of employers
who are responsible to
pay a portion of the
maternity leave of their
female employees.
Article 95 del Código de
Trabajo (Labour Code)
stipulates that
maternity leave is the
equal responsibility of
the CCSS and the
employer, who are
required to provide
maternity leave from one
prior to delivery and
three months after.
The Quirós proposal
would have cost the CCSS
¢4.15 bilion colones or
0.2% of the annual
central government
spending budget, which
Quirós justified as
being negligible. |
