| Daily News - Wednesday, 27 October 2004 |
Wage increases will continue to be debated. The matter was thought to have been settled by way of Resolution 2-04 issued by the National Salaries Commission. The resolution called for a 30% across-the-board increase on the minimum wage and a 25% increase in monthly wages of up
to RD$20,000. These provisions were a result of a pact between business and labor sector representatives last week.
In a letter to its members, the National Council of Business (CONEP) has now announced that it will adhere to the recommendations of the National Salaries Commission, which is only authorized to rule on minimum wage increases. CONEP has informed its members that the 25%
increase in monthly wages of up to RD$20,000 is a voluntary measure to be taken according to each company’s capacity. The leading business organization also says that the increases the companies have accorded their employees prior to the resolution should also be recognized.
According to a CONEP press release, the 25% increase on wages of up to RD$20,000 is only mandatory for minimum wage earners and those workers in industries not covered by separate provisions. Thus, free zone, tourism and construction workers are exempt from the agreed-upon
salary increase.
CONEP is consequently adhering to the limitation that restricts the National Salaries Commission rulings to minimum wages of non-specific sectors. The pay hikes will go into effect following the time period specified once the resolution regarding the increase has been officialized.
As reported in Diario Libre, legislators are still considering legislation that could instate mandatory increases across the board.
Meanwhile, the government is proposing a 15% wage increase for its own workers in January, with another 15% in June 2005.
The Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD) is the only of the three leading political parties that supports a government investment of RD$750 million for the organization of their primary elections. The Central Electoral Board (JCE) has requested that the chapter be included in the 2005 National Budget. According to a report in Hoy newspaper today, of the three parties only the PRD's delegate to the JCE, Dario de Jesus, has expressed support for such funding, a concept that was made legal after the PRD-majority Congress, with the vote of the PRSC deputies, upheld an amendment to the electoral law. De Jesus told Hoy that it is a worthwhile investment in democracy.
Federico Antun Batlle, president of the Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC) says that any political party that cannot pay for its own primaries should not exist and mentioned that the last primary cost his party RD$12 million. Antun Battle has stated that the funding request is an insult to Dominican society at a time when the country is undergoing an extensive economic crisis.
Danilo Diaz, the spokesman for the ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD), called the request for funding an outrageous absurdity and questioned how the JCE could intend to spent such a monstrous amount of money on the primaries while the country is in such dire economic straits.
Diaz and Antun concur that the primary law violates the Constitution and the right of the political parties to organize their own internal elections. "One cannot solve the problems of any party through legislation. The country does not deserve it and neither do the political parties need these efforts, much less an investment of this nature," stated Diaz. The PLD representative said that nothing could justify such an expense and that, instead of contributing to the electoral process, the overabundance of funding and JCE interference would create chaos.
Cement producers announced that they will sell a 42.5-kilogram bag of cement for RD$145, down from a previous price of RD$180. The drop, which is attributed to the appreciation of the Dominican peso, will stimulate the construction industry, according to sources. Earlier this year, cement was selling for RD$220 per bag.
An estimated 2,000 business delegates from the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region are participating in the two-day V Grand Caribbean Business Forum at the Renaissance Jaragua Hotel. The event is bringing together foreign companies interested in the Caribbean and Caribbean businesspeople to generate new enterprise in this potential market of 240 million consumers with a buying power of more than US$500 billion.
The director of the Center for Exports and Investment of the Dominican Republic (CEI-RD), which is hosting the event, emphasized the importance of strengthening trade and investment relations among the 28 countries that comprise the Association of Caribbean States (ACS). "We must admit that perhaps due to logistical difficulties and a lack of options in maritime and air transport, as well as a lack of confidence – and may we say even fear that many businesspeople feel when conducting business in our region – the increase in trade and investment among our countries has been minimal," said Eddy Martinez. He added that trade represents an average of only 8% of the total trade volume in the region, and in the case of the DR, a mere 6% of total trade. "We export some US$235 million and import US$572 million," said Martinez, and called on Dominican exporters to rise to the challenge of increasing this amount significantly in the near future.
Higuey's Bishop Nicanor Pena revealed that one of the girls who was sexually abused in a San Rafael de Yuma orphanage has identified at least one priest as an aggressor. The bishop would not corroborate this version of events, but says that the authorities should be able to investigate the case freely, whether those involved are connected to the Church or not. The cleric told El Caribe newspaper, whose reporters broke the story, that the Ciudad de los Ninos San Francisco Javier was closed at the request of the district attorney.
The representative of the Vatican in the Dominican Republic, Timothy Broglio, told El Caribe that the case should be left up to the Dominican justice system. "Above all else, there must be proof," he said. To avoid any such similar situations, according to Broglio, those entrusted with child care centers need to be carefully evaluated.
El Caribe brought this story to the public after complaints were filed regarding the rape of some 20 girls and alleged acts of bestiality forced upon the children lodged at the institution in the province of La Altagracia, marking the second time in two years that the orphanage has had to defend itself against accusations of sexual misconduct.
Bishop Pena says that he will hire a group of Mexican nuns to reopen the center, closed for several months now since the investigation was opened. He said controls would be established so that these types of aberrations do not recur.
The charges include the statement of a six-year-old boy, who gave details on orgies that included the center's pet dog.
"In Yuma, many had heard of or suspected what was going on in the home. But the accusations took two years to come out into the open. We need to eradicate this culture of silence. Justice is only possible when the crime comes to light. Let us not abandon this fight," says an editorial today in El Caribe, which also says that impunity can no longer be on the side of delinquents and pimps.
US federal investigators have concluded that a pilot error caused the crash of American Airlines flight 587 over Queens, NYC shortly after takeoff en route to Santo Domingo on 12 November 2001. Most of the 250 passengers onboard were Dominicans, all of whom were killed in the crash. According to the report presented by investigators to the National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday morning, the co-pilot's response to wake turbulence encountered just after takeoff was "unnecessary and aggressive" and put too much pressure on the rudder, which caused the tail fin to shear off.
NTSB investigator Robert Benzon testified that American Airlines had not properly trained its pilots to use the aircraft's rudder while recovering from upsets. As reported, American Airlines has claimed that the manufacturer, Airbus, didn't warn of any dangers related to sharp rudder movements. Airbus, however, says it did. The report is expected to be released to the public in the coming weeks.
An American Airlines press release says it is encouraged that the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that the highly-sensitive rudder system on the Airbus A300-600 aircraft was a contributing factor in the accident. Nevertheless, it states that it is "extremely disappointed" that the Board named the pilot's actions as the probable cause, and that elements of American's advanced aircraft maneuvering program, which teaches pilots to recover from aircraft upsets, were a contributing factor.
The airline says that it flies the Airbus A300-600 because of the knowledge it gained from the Flight 587 investigation and changes it made to its procedures as a result.
The Sporting News magazine has chosen six Dominicans for its All Stars Major League awards team. The players are voted by Major League players themselves, who this year cast 552 ballots. First baseman Albert Pujols (Cardinals) was the lone Dominican named for the American League. National League All Stars include second baseman Alfonso Soriano (Rangers), short stop Miguel Tejada (Orioles), outfielder Manny Ramirez (Red Sox), outfielder Vladimir Guerrero (Angels) and outfielder David Ortiz (Red Sox). See http://msn.foxsports.com/story/3111876
The World Series championship thus far has been very much dominated by Dominicans David Ortiz and yesterday Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez. Last night, Martinez kept the St Louis Cardinals at 0 runs for seven complete innings. Martinez, who just turned 33, confined the Cardinals to three hits in seven innings, striking out six and retiring the last 14 batters he faced. Fellow Dominican Manny Ramirez's homerun in the first inning jumpstarted the Boston Red Sox on their way to a 4-1 victory over the Cardinals. Ramirez is credited for his one-hop throw delivered to catcher Jason Varitek to complete an inning-ending double play in the bottom of the same first inning. Ramirez went 2 for 4, drove in two runs and prevented at least one run from scoring in the Game 3 victory over the Cardinals. This is Boston's third win in the best-of-seven series that could wrap up tonight. If the Red Sox win the game tonight at the Busch Stadium in St Louis, it would mark Boston's second World Series title, the first of which was won in 1918.
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