Cubans will stop work activities on Friday April 18, after the Good Friday was formalized as a holiday celebration in the new Labor Code adopted in the country in 2012 after reinstating in an “exceptional” time that Catholic commemoration on the occasion of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.
According to the official newspaper Granma, last December the National Assembly of People’s Power Law No. 116 approved the “Labor Code ” , which provides a day of work break on Good Friday each year.
Such regulations will come into force in June, hence to regulate this Friday, April 18 to be a holiday, the Ministry of Labor and Social Security issued a special resolution.
However, in that decision the Ministry clarifies that are exempt from this holiday those who work in ” the work related to the sugar harvest and other urgent agricultural jobs, industries continuous production process , urgent work of loading and unloading, transport services and their essential technical assurance . ”
Nor will have a holiday those people working in “hospital care and, drugstores and gas stations, funeral services linked to these gardens and cemeteries, hosting service, communications, radio and television, recreation and tourism attractions and collection and distribution of milk and other basic public services, fishing and other activities authorized by law. ”
With this measure the government of Raul Castro meets the promise he made to the previous Pope, Benedict XVI, during his visit to the island in March 2012.
In 2013, the Good Friday was also a holiday but exceptionally but from this year has been included in the work schedule.
Photo: Roberto Ruiz
