Spanish
Santo Domingo. – The Senate of the Republic approved this Tuesday in second reading, with modifications, the organic bill that reforms Law no. 16-92, which establishes the Labor Code of the Dominican Republic.
The initiative seeks to modernize the legal labor framework, improve workers' conditions, guarantee fundamental rights, and strengthen aspects such as non-discrimination, conflict resolution, and regulations on overtime, contract suspension, and leave.You may be interested in: http://Senate approves reform to the Arms Law to extend the carrying license to two years
Among the amendments adopted, Article 3 stands out, which prohibits all forms of discrimination in the workplace on grounds of sex, gender, age, race, origin, political opinion, union membership, sexual orientation, disability or religious belief, except for exceptions provided by law in favor of worker protection. It is also clarified that those distinctions based on the qualifications required for a specific position are not considered discriminatory.
The Senate also approved the elimination of Article 83 and amended Article 88, which details the grounds under which an employer can terminate a contract through dismissal. Another relevant change was introduced to article 511, which seeks to expedite labor conciliation processes, establishing specific deadlines for the appointment of the conciliator judge, the notification of the lawsuit, and the summons to a hearing, guaranteeing at least eight free days between the summons and its celebration. Likewise, Article 722 stipulates that the funds collected from fines will be incorporated into the budget of the Ministry of Labor and allocated to the strengthening of the services offered to users. With this approval, the Senate moves towards a more modern, fair and efficient Labor Code, which promotes equity in employment, reinforces institutional control mechanisms and guarantees greater protection for both employees and employers.
