AyA Workers Strike Over; Back to Work on Monday
The Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) workers strike that began on October 10, finally came to an end yesterday, on day 33, and the day following the decision by the Tribunales de Trabajo (labour court) declaring the strike illegal.

Union leaders had vowed to continue the strike action irrespective of the court decision - demanding pay parity with other workers of government institutions - however, following a late afternoon meeting between the leaders of the three unions and AyA president, Rafael Ángel Villalta, the ink flowed on the document that finally put the labour dispute to an end.

Monday, AyA workers are expected to return to their jobs in all AyA offices around the country and begin the process of normalizing operations at  the AyA, following more than a month of disruptions.

One of terms of the agreement is that the company will not take reprisal action against the striking workers and will not deduct their pay either.

Alvaro Espinoza, head of the Astraa union, said that the agreement also gives the AyA employees a 9.71% pay hike that is retroactive to October 1 and another increase of 10% retroactive to November 1.

The strike began on October 10 when many workers decided to walk off the job in protest of low wages compared to other employees of state companies, like the Insituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE).

AyA workers said they were the lowest paid of all government institutions, claiming that some employees were well below the minimum wage level.

As the strike moved forward, more employees joined the movement, two weeks ago prompting the Segundo Circuito Segundo Judicial de Goicoechea court to pronounce the strike legal as the majority of AyA employees, a requirement for a legal action.

The workers strengthened their position, demanding that their union leaders get tough with the government and had planned a series of actions that included shutting off water service to government agencies that were behind in their payments for water service.

However, on Thursday, the labour court overturned the Goicoechea court decision, declaring the strike illegal, as AyA and government officials prepared for possible violent actions by the workers, as the order to return to work as sent out.

Because of the strike, more than 100.000 water bills have not been delivered and payment is pending. AyA officials say they are analyzing the possibility that many consumers cannot pay a huge water bill in one single payment and will be looking at possibly deferring a portion of the payment into several installments.

Alcides Prado, commercial director for the AyA, said that the AyA will do its best to ease the responsibility of the consumer since it was not their fault that they are behind, but the fault of the water company.