The presidents of the three main trade union centers in the country sat at the table with President Luis Abinader, the Minister of Labor and the director of the National Institute of Professional Technical Training (Infotep) at a lunch at the National Palace to review the situation of the Dominican workers regarding this first of May.
The president took the opportunity to ensure that his government has managed to increase wages above inflation and asked the political opposition to make precise proposals on measures to stop the upward trend in prices.
“The only thing I ask of the opposition, which is to lower prices, not only criticize, but only give us a single recommendation”specified the president.
He highlighted the impact against inflation that the subsidy granted by the State to the production of rice, fertilizers and fuels has had.
Only the subsidy for hydrocarbons “takes away from us 0.4% of inflation per month.”
Labor Day
Abinader said he wants to create a tradition for the president to meet with union members every first of May.
He considered that the main thing is to maintain closeness, although the sectors do not always agree, to discuss the issues and seek consensus. The president described union members Jacobo Ramos, Gabriel del Río and Pepe Abreu as “fine negotiators” who “rationally” defend workers’ rights.
He guaranteed that in his management that consensus and that openness towards the workers will be permanent.
On their side, each of the union leaders took the floor to praise Abinader’s management in favor of the workers. Pepe Abreu reiterated his position against the business proposals to modify the right to unemployment.
He said that the Minister of Labor, Luis Miguel De Camps, has assured him that the Government has no intention of taking away that achievement. Both Abinader and De Camps nodded their heads as Abreu spoke.
He defines himself as a social democrat
Abinader affirmed that all his life he has been ideologically consistent with social democracy, which means “that capitalism develops, but protecting the workers.”
“We know that neither extreme works. It is necessary to allow a controlled, supervised, regulated business development, that development be allowed, that encourage new companies; but also that it protects the dignity of the workers”, stressed the president.
