AyA Workers To Strike for Two Days
Haven't paid your water bill? Do so today, because come tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday the 3.500 workers at the Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) - water and sewage - will go on strike.

The workers wants that the AyA raise their salary level to that of other public sector workers.

So, for two days, all the AyA offices and plants will be shut down, which means if you get your water cut off today, there won't be anyone there to get it connected until Monday. Nor will there be any meter readings or anyone to attend to calls for any breaks in water pipes.

In addition, AyA workers plan to set up demonstrations in La Uruca, Guadalupe, Paseo de los Estudiantes (avenida 10 in downtown San José) and the new constructed main offices in Pavas. Certainly the demonstrations will affect traffic in those areas.

Accoding to Álvaro Espinoza, secretary general of la Asociación de Trabajadores de AyA, th union has been pressuring management for years for better working conditions and an increase in their salaries. AyA workers are the lowest paid of all public employees, according to Espinoza.

A study done by a private company on behalf of the AyA employees shows that the fixed salary is about 25% below that of other workers in public institutions, while the salaries of management has risen sharply.

Espinoza says the strike action will be lifter at 6pm on Friday and will then give management one month to sit down and negotiate with them before taking any further actions, which could include an indefinite strike action.