Friday 22 August
2008, San José, Costa
Rica
Court Orders
Reinstatement Of Fired Hospital Calderón
Officials, Strike Over
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Court Orders
Reinstatement Of Fired
Hospital Calderón
Officials, Strike Over
The hospital workers
strike at the Calderón
Guardia came an end with
the decision of the Sala
Constitucional
(Constitutional Court)
that ordered the
reinstatement of former
hospital director, Luis
Paulino Hernández
Castañeda, hospital
administrator, Fernando
Roldán and maintenance
chief, Carlos Vílchez.
The three men were fired
by the Caja
Costarricense de Seguro
Social (CCSS) last week,
a move that angered
hospital workers,
including a number of
doctors at the hospital,
who decided to hold an
indefinite strike until
the CCSS reinstated
them.
CCSS officials said on
Tuesday that the men
were fired after due
process and it would be
impossible to reinstate
them. Workers had
threatened to prolong
the strike indefinitely,
affecting most of the
hospital services, save
for the emergence
department.
The Sala Constitucional,
or Sala IV as it is
commonly known, decision
was based on an appeal
presented by the three
men, who found that the
firing was a "despido
sin responsabilidad
patronal" (dismissal
without employer's
liability).
The court ordered the
immediate reinstatement
of the three and with
full labuor rights that
are legislated.
The workers immediately
ended the strike
following the court
decision, a strike
action that was for the
sole purpose of
pressuring CCSS
officials in reinstating
the fired hospital
officials.
Following the decision,
Dr. Castañeda it is time
to for reforms at the
CCSS in a way that all
Costa Ricans will
benefit.
"I believe that Dr. Rosa
Climent was wrong and
she should be resigning
from the Genercia Médica,
for violating the sacred
rights of public
officials. I do not hold
any resentment against
Dr. Climent, I send her
a warm embrace and ask
God to shine her the
light so that she will
not step on any more
citizens", said Dr.
Castañeda.
Officials of the CCSS
said they would be
respectful of the court
order and the three men
would be reinstated.
Eduardo Doryan Garrón,
president of the CCSS,
said that all medical
services suspended
during the strike must
be made up and those who
lost appointments should
be given new ones as
soon as possible. |
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