The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is forging a new partnership with the Dominican Republic through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Labor, aimed at promoting the protection of labour rights, reinforcing social dialogue, and improving working conditions in the country’s transport sector.
Under the agreement, the ITF and the Dominican Republic commit to work closely together to ensure nationwide compliance with labour legislation and international labour standards, particularly in sectors such as transport, logistics, and tourism — areas characterised by high labour mobility and significant relevance to the national economy.
"The signing of this MoU represents a new achievement in the region and constitutes a key instrument to advance decent work and ensure that transformations in the transport sector take place with social justice and trade union participation,” said David Massiah, ITF Tourism Chair.
The agreement establishes a cooperation framework designed to develop joint actions that strengthen social dialogue, improve occupational safety and health conditions, and promote technical and professional training for workers, trade union leaders, and institutional actors.
A central pillar of the agreement is collaboration aimed at preventing and eliminating unacceptable forms of work, such as child labour, forced labour, and human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation. The ITF will contribute studies, data, and methodologies that facilitate the detection and eradication of these practices. In addition, it will promote research initiatives to analyse emerging trends and strengthen evidence-based policymaking.
Edgar Díaz, ITF Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Secretary, said: “With this alliance, the ITF reaffirms its role as a global actor in defending the rights of transport workers. It also positions the Dominican Republic at the forefront of an international network dedicated to promoting fair, safe, and sustainable working conditions.”
In accordance with the MoU, the ITF and the Ministry of Labor will designate focal points for coordination, develop joint work plans, and establish monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to measure the labour and social impact of the actions implemented. The agreement, which is non-binding and has an indefinite duration, creates a stable platform for ongoing cooperation between the federation and the Dominican State.
The document was signed by the Minister of Labor, Eddy Olivares Ortega, and ITF Deputy General Secretary, Rob Johnston, with the participation of Edgar Díaz, ITF Regional Secretary, David Massiah, Chair of the ITF Tourism Section, Santiago Zamora, member of the ITF Global Tourism Committee, Ricardo de los Santos, President of FENATRADO, and Jacobo Ramos Crispín, President of the CNTD and FENATRAZONAS.
