Definitive Report - Report No 211, November 1981

1. 67. The complaint is contained in a communication of the Workers' Trade Union Autonomous Federation (CASC) dated 27 June 1981. The Government furnished its reply in a letter dated 5 August 1981.
2. 68. The Dominican Republic has ratified both the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87) and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining Convention, 1949 (No. 98).

A. Allegations of the complainant

1. 69. The Workers' Trade Union Autonomous Federation alleges that workers of the Los Minas textile undertaking are confronted with a serious situation infringing freedom of association: 600 workers have not received their wages for the last six weeks and several workers have been imprisoned and beaten.

B. The Government's reply

1. 70. The Government points out that the Secretariat of State for Labour is determined to find a solution to the problem of the payment of wages overdue and that discussions are continuing with the management of the undertaking with a view to resolving this problem as soon as possible.
2. 71. The Government also states that persons were taken into protective custody as a result of clashes which occurred in the public thoroughfare between workers and persons from outside the undertaking on the one hand and officers of the National Police on the other. Furthermore, the Government adds that no worker is currently being held in prison as a result of these clashes and that according to investigations which have been carried out, no one has been beaten.

C. The Committee's conclusions

1. 72. The Committee notes that the present complaint does not refer to precise cases involving the infringement of trade union rights, but simply to allegations of a generic nature concerning the infringement of freedom of association. The Committee also notes that the complainant has not made use of the procedural right to present additional information.