In a sweeping nationwide labor compliance operation, the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of Labor has ordered the immediate closure of 24 commercial establishments owned by Chinese investors, following official inspections that confirmed life-threatening working conditions and widespread breaches of the country’s labor laws.
Led by Labor Minister Eddy Olivares, the enforcement action targeted 101 businesses across four key regions of the country: the National District, Santo Domingo province, San Pedro de Macorís, and Higüey. By the conclusion of the inspections, authorities had issued a total of 1,016 violation reports documenting illegal practices across dozens of workplaces.
The most common infraction uncovered during the operation was the unlawful pre-term dismissal of workers: 91 businesses were found to systematically fire employees before they completed three months of continuous employment. Dominican labor regulations guarantee specific core benefits including paid vacation leave and statutory severance pay once workers pass this three-month threshold, so the intentional early termination practice directly strips workers of these legally protected entitlements.
Inspectors also uncovered a wide range of other labor and safety violations. 53 establishments failed to provide the mandatory weekly rest period required by national law; 52 did not pay legally mandated performance bonuses to staff; 37 refused to compensate workers for overtime hours worked; and an additional 33 businesses were cited for other miscellaneous breaches of labor regulations.
In the realm of occupational health and safety, 53 workplaces were found to be in violation of safety standards. Of these, 24 were deemed to pose imminent, life-threatening danger to on-site employees, triggering the closure order under the provisions of Dominican Resolution 04/2007, the law governing immediate enforcement action for high-risk working conditions.
Breaking down the operation by region: In the National District, inspectors assessed 54 establishments, issued 546 violation reports, and ordered 13 facility closures. Across the eastern, western, and northern districts of Santo Domingo, 34 businesses were inspected, resulting in 302 violation reports and 3 closures. In the eastern coastal regions of San Pedro de Macorís and Higüey, 13 workplaces were inspected, generating 168 violation reports and 8 closure orders.
Of the 1,016 total violation reports issued across the country during the operation, 974 were formal warnings requiring corrective action, while 42 were formal citation notices that carry legal penalties for non-compliance.
In a statement following the operation, Minister Olivares emphasized that labor compliance inspections will continue moving forward across all sectors of the Dominican economy. He clarified that enforcement efforts are focused on upholding the country’s Labor Code and protecting the fundamental rights of all workers, regardless of the nationality of a business’s owner or investors.
This report is updated coverage from DominicanScope.