The United States’ Embassy and the Department of Labor of the US, will be donating US$2 million to improve the implementation of labor laws in the Costa Rican agricultural sector.

The Bureau of International Labor Affairs of the Department of Labor describes the objectives of the project: “The project’s goal is to improve enforcement of minimum wage, hours of work, and occupational safety and health laws in the agricultural export sector in Costa Rica. The project will strengthen the legal and administrative mechanisms designed to enforce labor laws while also working with employers and workers to improve implementation of those laws in the workplace”.

“In 2015, the United States imported $892 million in edible fruit and nuts from Costa Rica (primarily pineapples and bananas) and roughly $175 million in coffee. While Costa Rica has made commitments towards improving labor standards as part of its trade-related obligations under the Dominican Republic – Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) and while seeking accession to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, workers in agricultural export sectors are still very vulnerable to violations of minimum wage, hours of work, and occupational safety and health laws.
An independent investigation found that 50% of all agricultural export workers in Costa Rica are paid below minimum wage. Reports have also commonly revealed that workers often work overtime without compensation and are frequently exposed to likely carcinogenic agrochemicals”, describes the project page.

Source: Costa Rica US Embassy