OTLA Asks for Comments on Dominican Republic DR-CAFTA Labor Violations

The Labor Department’s Office of Trade and Labor Affairs (OTLA) is requesting comments and information related to an allegation that the Dominican Republic failed to fulfill its obligations under the labor chapter of the Dominican Republic-Central America-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) (here). Specifically, the submission alleges that the Government of the Dominican Republic failed to fulfill its obligations under the labor chapter through actions or lack thereof that denied workers in the sugar sector their rights under the laws of the Dominican Republic relating to freedom of association, the right to organize, child labor, forced labor, the right to bargain collectively, and acceptable conditions of work. Comments are due by July 2.