Government must protect Dominican workers in Haiti: Union leader

Santo Domingo.- The head of the National Construction Workers Union (SINATRACON) on Monday called on the government to protect the lives of Dominican construction workers in Haiti, who allegedly receive death threats from Haitians in that country.

Luis Medina Arias said he’s concerned about the workers’ safety, as the constant threat from Haitian citizens’ have prompted around 700 laborers to leave that country in the last 48 hours on fears of losing their lives.

"President Danilo Medina must ensure the safety of those Dominicans who go there to work on contract. The last case we on which have information was of 21 workers who were about to be attacked there, and managed to be saved from the crowd after some American soldiers intervened," Medina said.

Quoted on Z101FM radio, Medina Arias said the union and the Labor Ministry have created the "Construction Workers Dominicanization Committee" to demand compliance of that law that stipulates that at least 80% of a company’s work force must be Dominican.

This committee is formed by the Labor Ministry, the Housing Builders and Promoters Association (ACOPROVI), the National Technical-Professional Workers Institute (INFOTEP), the Central Workers Confederation (CTU), among other entities.

"Given Danilo Medina’s speech that undocumented immigrants will be deported, we feel that it will be a good opportunity for us to reintegrate ourselves in the construction field which today is 80% occupied mainly by Haitians but also other foreigners such Mexicans, Colombians , Guatemalans and Peruvians," the union leader said.