Launching the MTSS Communication Campaign on wages and labour rights
Kick-off event: On September 17, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) and GIZ launched a joint communication campaign on wages and labour rights in the banana sector. The campaign aims to bring together complementary actions and make information on wage regulations and support channels more accessible to workers and employers, as part of a broader cooperation to improve wage conditions and advance Living Wages.
On September 17, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MTSS) and GIZ launched a joint communication campaign on wages. The campaign is part of the broader cooperation between the MTSS and GIZ on behalf of the German Retailers Working Group on Living Incomes and Wages, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in March, bringing together complementary key areas: It aims to strengthen labour rights and improve wage conditions in Costa Rica’s banana sector through awareness-raising, better access to wage-related information, integrated management systems, institutional capacity building for MTSS officials, and improvements to tools related to wages and labour rights.
The event brought together Marcus Haas, Minister of the Diplomatic Mission of the German Embassy in Costa Rica, Mercedes Flores Badilla, Minister of Labor and Social Security (MTSS), as well as representatives of private-sector banana companies, the National Banana Corporation (CORBANA), trade unions, and various public institutions.
Project progress and next steps
During the event, stakeholders also received an update on the progress of the German Retailers Working Group’s project “Towards Living Wages in the Banana Sector”: Activities with the MTSS include training officials on international labour standards and Living Wages, improving the wage information tool, and support the development of an administrative module for the Comprehensive System of the National Labour Inspectorate (SIDNI, for Sistema Integral de la Dirección Nacional de Inspección de Trabajo). This module is intended to strengthen administrative processes, monitoring, and the information available for institutional decision-making.
Making wage information more accessible
The campaign begins by highlighting the importance of complying with national wage regulations. It promotes tools for wage-related inquiries and helps workers access the MTSS Department of Reports and Complaints. By making information about these regulations and support channels more accessible to workers and employers, the campaign aims to strengthen compliance with existing standards. This is an important foundation for further progress towards Living Wages.
To reach its target audience, the campaign content will be disseminated through the social media channels of GIZ and the MTSS, using a variety of formats, including informative reels and interviews with key stakeholders involved in the initiative. The campaign will also be supported through media outreach via a press release. The communication channels will include Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and the official websites of SASI and the MTSS. Together, these channels and formats aim to provide workers with accessible and practical information on wages and labour rights and contribute to improved working conditions in the banana sector.