3114

The Legislature of Puerto Rico hereby declares that to permit collection of attorney’s fees from workers or employees who need to file claims against their employers under federal or local labor legislation or under an individual or collective work contract is equivalent to permitting the worth of their hire to be reduced by the amount they pay their attorneys. It is furthermore declared that to permit labor organizations to contract for the payment of attorney’s fees on the basis of a percentage of any benefit obtained through collective bargaining agreements redounds to the detriment of industrial peace by seating a private interest, alien to those which ought to properly be the subject matter of the negotiations, at the negotiating table.\nIt is therefore declared that the policy of the Government of Puerto Rico is to safeguard workers and employees against such reductions in the worth of their hire and to protect the public interest against said percentage basis contracts, inasmuch the same redound to the detriment of industrial peace.\nHistory —May 12, 1950, No. 402, p. 954, § 1; June 3, 1980, No. 90, p. 246.