CCSS: Striking hospital staff vandalized Nicoya hospital, assaulted other staff

September 10^th, 2015 (ICR News) Striking employees of the public Hos­pi­tal La Anexión in Nicoya vandalized the hospital and intimidated and assaulted staff working at the hospital who decided not to join the strike in an attempt to bring hospital operations to a standstill, according to a press release circulated by Costa Rica’s public health and social security administration, known as CCSS on Wednesday.

According to CCSS, strikers broke furniture and equipment, defecated in waste bins, and flooded hospital restrooms.  Strikers also seized cleaning equipment from hospital cleaning staff.

Strikers also physically assaulted and intimidated hospital staff that chose not to join the strike, with one worker saying that the strikers said under threat of violence that they would not allow food to be served to patients.

Police officers were forced to respond to the scene, according to CCSS.

Only some 40 workers out of about 700 total staff are participating in the strike, and the hospital is continuing to function normally despite the disturbances, according to CCSS, which has asked the government to declare the strike illegal.

For its part, the National Union of CCSS Employees (Undeca) denied that strikers damaged any property or attacked other staff, saying that unknown individuals may be responsible in an attempt to blame the union strikers.

A group of about 40 hospital staff have been on strike since Tuesday in protest against the privatization of cleaning and security services at the hospital, services that the hospital plans to turn over to private contractors.

The director of the hospital, Dr. Anner Angulo said earlier that the privately contracted services were hired to provide cleaning and security to the hospital’s new medical tower beginning in 2016.