Government negotiators convinced National Federation of Dominican Transportation (Fenatrado) to desist of the nationwide cargo 72-hour strike they had called to start Tuesday, 25 September 2018 at 6am. Fenatrado is the nation’s largest freight hauling syndicate and has grown by using force to impose a practical monopoly on cargo transport with the lenience of government. The announcement was made by Ricardo De los Santos, the president of Fenatrado.
Participating in the meeting in which the decision was taken were Presidency Minister Gustavo Montalvo; Police director, Major General Ney Aldrin Bautista Almonte; Defense Minister Lieutenant General Rubén Paulino Sem; National Investigations Agency (DNI) director, Sigfrido Pared Pérez, and National Institute for Traffic and Ground Transport, Franchesca de los Santos.
During the meeting, it was agreed that Fenatrado negotiators would meet weekly with Minister of the Presidency Gustavo Montalvo to discuss matters of interest. Also participating in the meetings that would start on Thursday, 27 September 2018 are representatives of the Ministry of Public Works, the director of Intrant, and a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.
Los Santos had argued they sought the government authorities take measures to compensate the truckers for the disproportionate and continuous increases in fuel prices, especially diesel, gasoline and LPG. The syndicate leader said that at the present time it is impossible for the 30,000 truckers to continue working because they are expending 60% of their income on fuels. He said that there is no justification for price increases if the price of a barrel of crude oil goes down on the international market from any level such as US$75 and reaches US$68, that in this country the price of fuel goes up. Los Santos said he did not know what methodology was being used by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Mipymes to establish the prices of fuel.
Follow the story in Spanish:
El Nacional
Listin Diario
El Dia
25 September 2018
