The Minister of Labor, Luis Miguel De Camps García, headed the signing of the Collective Agreement on Working Conditions 2023-2025, between the company Pueblo Viejo Cotuí Barrick (PVC-Barrick) and the United Union of Workers of the Pueblo Viejo Cotuí Mining Company (Sutrabarrick).
The official, in his opening remarks, emphasized that the government led by President Luis Abinader has taken very seriously the management of mediation in search of consensus, such as the one that was joyfully reached today between Barrick and its workers’ union.
“With a dialogue with clarity of criteria, we have better results for economic growth and human development, which are the pillars of the Dominican Republic. I sincerely congratulate the negotiating commissions for showing good faith and commitment to move forward together towards the creation of common well-being for both parties,” added De Camps.
For her part, Juana Barceló, president of PVC-Barrick, said that they have demonstrated that they can work together with their collaborators effectively to achieve the common objectives, making responsible and world-class mining.
“Transparency has been a fundamental pillar in our relationship and will continue to be. All the steps that have led us to conclude this renegotiation process have been based on honest dialogue, in a continuous environment of respect and, above all, where every concern has been addressed,” he added.
Reynaldo Hernández, secretary general of Sutrabarrick, emphasized that in this second collective bargaining agreement important benefits have been achieved, such as the 64% increase in the food and transportation subsidy, the acquisition of a 20-acre plot of land to build a clubhouse for the workers and the increase from 3 to 4 days for paternity leave.
This agreement establishes wage improvements for the workers, as well as improvements in food subsidies, working hours, rest periods, accident prevention and industrial hygiene and other working conditions that will regulate the relationship between Sutrabarrick and PVC-Barrick.
With this agreement, the workers of the mining company will receive a salary increase retroactive to the month of March of this year of 6% this year, 5% in 2024 and 5% in 2025, which can be increased according to inflation, as published by the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic.
According to the piece, the food and transportation subsidies will be considered ordinary salary, which will impact the payment of vacations, Christmas salary, individual participation in the company’s profits and labor benefits.
Present at the activity were Megan Tibbals, general manager of PVC-Barrick; Ariel Acevedo, general secretary of Futrametal, and for the National Confederation of Union Unity (CNUS), Rafael -Pepe- Abreu.
Representing the Ministry of Labor were the deputy ministers Demetrio Antonio Paulino, Julián Mateo, Sabrina De la Cruz, Marie Laure Aristy; Andrés Valentín Herrera, general director of Labor, and Francisco Regalado, director of Mediation and Arbitration.
Source: presidencia.gov.do
