The Minister of Labour, Victor Morales, told Crhoy.com that "....These proposals concerning working hours require legislative amendment, they need a reform of the Labour Code to be approved in the Legislature ... I proposed to the Chamber of Industries ... that these issues must be subject to tripartite dialogue (between employers, workers and government). "

The proposal by the Chamber of Industries contemplates reforming the Labour Code so that working days are 12 hours long, and there would be 4 working days a week, with three days off.

Unions are not in agreement with industrialists. Albino Vargas, general secretary of the National Association of Public and Private Employees (ANEP) noted that "... we believe it is a kind of regression on labor rights to increase the exploitation of labor without paying overtime. It is unacceptable and we must fight it. "

Source: Crhoy.com

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After the Constitutional Court suspended the agreement regulating part-time employment in Guatemala, the exporters' union asked to be a third party interested in the case, because without the regulations, the generation of formal employment is weakened.

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Flexible Working Hours Requested in Costa Rica

July 2014

Industrialists are asking for inclusion in the Labour Code a 12 hour work day, and in cases in where the law permits, annualized hours.

From a statement issued by the Chamber of Industries (ICRC):

July 2014. In the view of the ICRC establishing additional rules for working time in Costa Rican legislation represents an excellent option for generating higher quality employment opportunities, while at the same time allowing firms to improve their production levels.

Flexible Working Hours in Guatemala

July 2012

An agreement has made between government, unions and employers, to present a bill to allow and regulate part-time work.

Elsa Avalos, deputy minister of labor, said the proposal is in "stage of consensus" and then will be passed to Congress.

The initiative aims to make recruitment more flexible and allows temporary workers to benefit from "all aspects of the law."

Costa Ricas pushes for reform of Work Code

January 2009

In response to the economic crisis the Government is proposing to make the work day more flexible in order to minimize layoffs.

According to nacion.com "the bill proposes creating new two work days: a 12 hour day with 3 free days per week and an annualized work day. This will allow for 10 hours when there is a lot of work and a maximum of six during the low season, and this way the workers will at no time get less than the minimum wage.