The National Employee Union of the Social Security Service (Undeca) posted a press release on their social media channels in which they qualify the hiring of private laundry services by the Costa Rica Health Authorities (CCSS) as “illegal”.

“The desperate actions of the authorities of Caja (CCSS), that arranged the hiring of private companies and external workers without any training to replace the strikers, breaks the disposition of the Labor Code”, states the release.

“The hiring of these companies and “strike-breaking” workers are absolutely illegal and constitutes an anti-union practice that diminishes the exercise of a fundamental right”.

“As if this wasn’t enough, this illegitimate action was topped with the actions of the Executive Presidency with the intervention of the public police force that has practically besieged and militarized the laundry area”.

Undeca concludes by assuring they will take legal actions against the health authorities.

Since the strike started the laundry service in the hospitals has been one of the most affected. Authorities of the Social Security Service also reported that protesters have been blocking the entrance and exit of private trucks that had been hired to help with the handling of dirty laundry which is why the Public Police Force took actions to remove the protesters and prevent them from blocking the transit.

CCSS informed yesterday that groups of workers in the different hospitals had organized themselves to help guarantee the laundry service in the institutions, since in average 77.5% of the workers of the Central Laundry are on strike, as well as 95% of the workers of the Zeledon Venegas laundry.

Help received from personnel from the Mexico Hospital and volunteers of the Institutional Services Area of the Central Offices allowed them to reestablish the laundry services in the Central Laundry. In addition, CCSS has two contracts with private companies that help with part of the laundry needs that are usually covered by the Zeledon Venegas Laundry Area, which handles this service for the National Children’s Hospital, San Juan de Dios, National Geriatric Hospital, Women’s Hospital, San Vicente de Paul and Roberto Chacón Hospitals.

Even with these arrangements, data of the CCSS shows they are washing daily close to 15,000 kilograms of hospital clothing, 10,000 less than usual, which creates a big concern for health authorities since the dirty laundry can be ground for infections and contamination.