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View Full Version : Shipper's urge government to break trucker's stronghold



NewsWhore
05-07-2012, 02:30 PM
The president of the Association of Shippers in the Dominican Republic, Teddy Heinsen is urging President Leonel Fernandez to take measures to impose freedom for trucking merchandise in the Dominican Republic. He described the strike called by the Dominican National Transport Federation (Fenatrado) as poorly timed and political. Fenatrado is the trucker's association that has kept a stronghold on cargo transportation in the Dominican Republic over the years.

He expressed his concern at Fenatrado's high levels of intolerance to cargo transport.

"Both the shipping and commercial and productive sectors of the country are tired of the aggressive attitude of this syndicate and the indifference that the state has given as an answer to this evil that has become a central axis of concern for the private sector," he said, as reported in El Dia. He said the business sector was 100% united against Fenatrado's defiant and monopolistic practices.

He urged President Leonel Fernandez to take advantage of the call to strike made by Fenatrado that harms all productive sectors of the country and Dominican society in general.

Fenatrado impedes cargo transport services from being provided by any carrier that is not affiliated to the union. This includes stopping companies from using their own vehicles to transport merchandise. At the ports they use violence to prevent the entrance of trucks that are not affiliated.

Fenatrado is seeking an agreement with the government, and met with Public Works Minister Victor Diaz Rua on Thursday. As reported in Diario Libre, its president Blas Peralta said the strike was on from 6am on 8 to 6pm on 9 May.

"We have decided the strike is on. We do not care about the election. We just want our money," he said as reported in Diario Libre. Fenatrado called the strike several days ago, ordering 3,000 cargo trucks to stop work. Reportedly, Fenatrado is demanding that the government pay a RD$300 million debt.

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