Trade union centrals and other organizations criticize the government; they say is indifferent to the voracity of businessmen
They march in favor of social and labor conquests. With claims of various demands, the one that highlighted the rejection of the Pension Fund Administrators (AFP) and the salary increase for teachers, the trade union centers and guilds from different popular sectors made their voices heard yesterday with a march in the International Workers Day.
Defying the rain, shouting slogans and holding banners, representatives of the various organizations gathered in Parque Enriquillo on Avenida Duarte.
There they read what I titledn “Manifesto May 1st 2022: Dominican Republic”, and then they marched through various streets and avenues until they reached the Mauricio Báez Park, located where San Martín, John F. Kennedy and Leopoldo Navarro streets converge.
“We have gathered to commemorate a united and combative May Day, with the determination to continue coordination in order to generate a correlation of forces to the mass struggles and the conquests in favor of the majority that make up the working people”, said Juan Núñez, from the Dominican Association of Teachers (ADP), who read the manifesto.
We invite you to read: International Workers’ Day: Why is it celebrated on May 1?
In the document signed by more than 35 trade union, professional, carrier, youth, peasant and other groups, they harshly criticized what they described as the government’s indifference to the voracity of the business elites.
They pointed out that the high price of the basic basket, with respect to poverty wages and the many taxes, make the workers function in an unfair model.
To the National Congress He also had his part in the list of claims, with the request for immediate transformation to Law 87-01 that establishes the Dominican Social Security System, and for the law to be complied with that establishes for the next few years 5% for the Health sector.
“We reject the privatization of health services, that public hospitals be abandoned, while credits and facilities are offered to private medicine,” said Núñez.
The president of the ADP, Eduardo Hidalgo, recalled that a salary increase was scheduled for 2022 in the pact a year ago. On his side, deputy Pedro Botello, who attended with a large group of followers, reaffirmed his commitment to workers in their fight for 30% of the savings of the pension funds.
“The AFPs are not going to beat us. We are willing to go to the ultimate consequences,” Botello said. While, Jacobo Ramos, from the National Confederation of Dominican Workers (CNTD); Rafael (Pepe) Abreu, from the National Confederation of Trade Union Unity (CNUS) and Gabriel del Río, from the Classist Autonomous Trade Union Confederation (CASC), met in the Mauricio Báez Park, where they also read a document.
You can also read: They demand responses from the Government on International Workers’ Day
They demanded that the Social Security Law be inclusive, fair and universal and demanded an increase in the amounts of the pensions of AFP members, since 82.4% of contributors will receive just 8 thousand pesos, if they comply with the 360 installments of contributions.
They demanded that the rights of the workers in the Labor Code not be curtailed and that Law 686 be preserved, which guarantees the maintenance of the workers of the Construction Fund.
They demanded better salaries for teachers and the permanence of Inabima, which protects teachers’ retirement.
Present at the march were:
Dominican Medical College, Federation of Teachers of the UASD, Union of Sugar Cane Workers, Marcha Verde, Broad Front of Popular Struggle, Bar Association, Alianza País, Association of Nurses, Human Rights Defense Committee, among others.
