Costa Rica debates professional fee deregulation and labor reforms

Costa Rica is considering significant legislative changes regarding professional services and labor structures. A new proposal introduced by Lawmaker Marta Esquivel of the Pueblo Soberano party aims to dismantle the pricing power of professional guilds. The bill seeks to strip “colegios profesionales” of their authority to set mandatory minimum fees, transferring that responsibility to the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC) to encourage market competition.

In a separate legislative development, deputies have voted to exclude public-sector employees from a proposed 4x3 labor reform. If passed, the reform would amend the Labour Code to allow 12-hour shifts for four days a week in exchange for three days of rest. Under the current motion, this scheme would apply exclusively to private companies operating on 24-hour production cycles, leaving state workers on their existing schedules.