Courts will be back to normal functioning today, August 1, after an estimated 13 – 16,000 workers from the country’s judicial branch were on strike to protest proposed changes to their retirement plans.

The historic 12-day-strike organized by the different unions that represent judiciary workers throughout the country was triggered by a legislative move to make changes to the judiciary pension plan based on technical recommendations from the country’s superintendent of pensions, according to reports in various national media.

Strike organizers were angered that the legislature failed to base their bill on union recommendations.

Union leaders reached an agreement with the Supreme Court Monday to lift the strike in exchange for a request that the executive branch revoke the bill that would alter their privileged pension system. A legislative commission just last Thursday approved a new text for a pension reform bill based on recommendations by the University of Costa Rica.

The commission’s draft legislation would increase the retirement age for judicial workers from 60 to 65 years in keeping with the rest of the country, and would increase worker salary contributions to the judiciary’s pension fund from 11 to 15 percent. It would also put a maximum cap of 4 million colones on new retirement plans.

At a moment when Costa Rica faces steep international debt payments and a growing deficit, those critical of the judiciary’s pension plan say the scheme is untenable, with high retirement payments far outmatching worker contributions. Others say judicial worker pensions – as well as salaries – should be on par with other public servants in the rest of the country.

When the legislature enters their extraordinary session for the month of August, the President will set the agenda for projects to be voted upon.

The extraordinary session would also permit President Solis to withdraw the current draft legislation to reform the judiciary pension plan from the legislative agenda, and thus calm the strike movement – at least until September when the legislature returns to its ordinary session, said reports in local media.