The Dominican Republic Association of Industries (AIRD) has hailed the decision by the labor jurisdiction of Santiago that ruled against a labor demand placed by Hugo Francisco and Johnny Rodriguez Marte of the Sindicato de Camioneros y Furgoneros de Puerto Plata and ordered the union to become a private company in order to operate their cargo business. The court rejected the use of the union to force companies to use their services in violation of the Constitutional ban on monopolies. The ruling states that unions need to be made up of workers or employers, and not of people whose interest is in doing business. The court established that the transport union is made up of truck owners and workers who are providing transport services and for that reason they should form a company to provide the service.
“This judicial ruling precedent is a positive sign and opens the way to eliminate once and for all the monopoly that so much affects the cost of production of the country, as well as juridical security,” stated Circe Almanzar, vice president of the Association of Industries.
The president of the Association of Industries of Herrera (AEIH) Victor Castro said the ruling is a step forward for juridical security for the country. He said this should go viral, and should be applied not only at the Port of Puerto Plata, but nationwide. Castro said that having ten trucks does not make anyone a labor union member, but a company, instead. He said that the unions that load cargo in the ports are companies like any other, with the exception that they have been allowed a monopoly on cargo rates.
Lawyer Waskar Marmolejos said that the ruling of the Juzgado de Trrabajo del Distrito Judicial de Santiago was issued on 12 June 2014 and orders the cancellation of the union registration No. 00167-1962 dated 24 July 1962 in the name of the Sindicato de Camioneros y Furgones de Puerto Plata, based on Art. 382 of the Labor Code, was appealed on 23 July 2014.
Read more in Spanish:
http://www.elnuevodiario.com.do/app/article.aspx?id=388692
http://www.diariolibre.com/noticias/2014/08/28/i766561_sindicato-camioneros-apel-cancelacin-del-registro.html