Costa Rican government opts for legislative blockade over 12-hour workday bill

Costa Rica's Legislative Assembly is experiencing a significant slowdown as a proposal to implement 12-hour workdays faces a barrage of procedural motions. The bill, which aims to reform labor laws, has been met with 1,683 substantive motions and an additional 2,564 revision motions.

This overwhelming number of amendments effectively creates a legislative blockade, preventing the bill from moving forward to a substantive debate or vote. Observers suggest that the officialist party, which supports the bill, may be employing this tactic to avoid a direct confrontation or to stall the process.

The strategy of filing numerous motions is a common parliamentary tactic used to delay or derail legislation. In this case, it highlights a deep division and strong opposition to the proposed changes in working hours, which critics argue could negatively impact workers' rights and well-being.