Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 1991, published 78th ILC session (1991)

Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98) - Dominican Republic (Ratification: 1953)

Article 4 of the Convention. The Committee takes note of the information concerning the application of the above provision of the Convention and notes in particular that 40 collective agreements were concluded for 1989 and 1990 and that there are eight collective agreements governing the employment conditions of workers employed in the enterprises of the State Sugar Board.

As regards the situation in the free export zones, the Committee notes from the information provided by the Government that there are only agreements negotiated on an ad hoc basis or agreements negotiated directly between workers and employers and that, furthermore, workers in this sector reportedly do not seek assistance from union federations as they consider that they would not defend the interests of the workers but would act out of political considerations.

The Committee asks the Government to provide information on the measures contemplated to promote the full development and utilisation of voluntary negotiating procedures for collective agreements between employers and trade union organisations in the free zone sector, in accordance with this provision of the Convention and to provide a copy of any collective agreement concluded in this sector.