In a landmark case, judges Carlos Martinez and Andys Mendoza of the Puerto Plata Labor Court of have ordered an end to the monopoly on cargo transport imposed by the truckowners union (Fenatrado). The truck union claims that a government administrative resolution obliges cargo owners to use them to transport at least 50% of the cargo that is loaded at ports.
The president of the Association of Commerce and Industries of Santiago (ACIS), Sandy Filpo welcomed the decision. He said that companies could now use their own trucks to transport their merchandise. He said the court decision creates a precedent that should be followed in other jurisdictions.
Through threats of vandalism and violence, Fenatrado has forced users of cargo transport to grant their affiliates 50% of all cargo transport. They claim that a government administrative resolution supports their monopolistic practices. This is in violation of the Constitution that guarantees the right to free enterprise and free market for the purchase of goods and contracting of services based on agreement between the parties, and the ban on monopolies or oligopolies that alter the harmonious relationship between supply and demand.
Read more in Spanish: http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/08/27/i763871_corte-puerto-plata-rompe-monopolio-transporte-carga.html