Minibus union directors that make up the Coordinadora de Organizaciones Populares, Sindicales y de Choferes are calling for a 48 hour nationwide strike on Tuesday and Wednesday. The strike does not have popular support. The organizers are demanding a 100% salary increase, declines in basic food product prices and in fuel prices to call off the strike. The union members that have called the strike previously controlled several bus routes in the city by charging independent minibus operators up to RD$50,000 for the permission to transit. Their control of the public transport system has been broken by Metropolitan Transport Authority efforts to organize transport and offer improved bus service. The call to strike seeks to pressure the government to accept the demands of the unionized minibus owners. The Secretary of Interior and Police, Norge Botello warned that the National Police and the Armed Forces are prepared to confront any public disorders. AMET/OMSA has said that it has 400 buses that will be running as usual, and an additional 200 that can be used if necessary. The strike mostly affects intercity service. Celso Marranzini, president of the National Council of Private Enterprise (CONEP) and the rector of the Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, Miguel Rosado, recognized the right to strike as a legitimate right of citizens, but rejected any protest movement that may affect the development of the country. Marranzini said that strikes as a protest statement have fallen in discredit and urged the groups to sit down to talks with the government. The spokesman for the largest opposition party, Enmanuel Esquea Guerrero, president of the Partido Revolucionario Dominicano, said that that organization will support protest movements that take place in a peaceful manner.
