Meeting of Labor Observer Networks Favor Creating Public Policy

Dominican Tourism Minister, Francisco Javier García, recently proclaimed that “the moment has come for Las Terrenas to radically change” into a model tourism area. To further that goal, the Minister has announced the undertaking of important construction projects to be developed by the Executive Committee of Tourism Infrastructure (CEIZTUR).

Dominican Tourism Minister, Francisco Javier García, recently proclaimed that “the moment has come for Las Terrenas to radically change” into a model tourism area.

The Labor Ministry (SET) inaugurated the 5th Meeting of Labor Observer Networks of Central America and the Dominican Republic, underway here, in which the 7 participating countries are sharing their experiences with their respective labor markets while analyzing the information in order to implement public policies that favor the working sector.

Representatives from Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Panama, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic are participating in the meeting with the idea of gathering reliable and quality information on the behavior and tendencies of the different labor markets. The information will facilitate making decisions and formulating public policies oriented toward economic development and the reduction of poverty.

Labor Minister, Mac Puig, hosting the meeting, stressed the gathering will strengthen research on the labor situation in Central American countries and the DR. He added that it will allow his country to see what others do with the idea of taking advantage of their experiences.

“We need to make enormous efforts in the face of the economic crisis which is affecting us all. The Labor Ministry is basing this effort on adaptation and reconversion, seeking to orient specialized unemployed personnel toward other companies as well as promoting self-employment.”

Mr. Puig said his ministry favors this type of enterprise in a rural as well as urban setting in that it brings people together to produce and develop small businesses on a cooperative basis.

The 5th Meeting of Labor Market Observer Networks of Central America and the Dominican Republic is the framework in which the Dominican Labor Observer (OMLAD) will be introduced. The function of OMLAD will be the study of the national labor fabric with the goal of improving employability and the entire labor market.

In addition, it will help authorities to know and understand the labor tendencies in the country among the various professional sectors and their insertion in the labor market, such as which jobs correspond to which economic sector.

Support for this meeting was provided in part by the Program for Training and Labor Insertion (FOIL) and the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID). A total of 24 speeches will be presented in a public forum to 60 government functionaries from key institutions.

The General Coordinator of Spanish Cooperation – part of FOIL – in the Dominican Republic, Miguel Ángel Encinas, said that the Networks Meeting is an effort being made as part of the actions in the public and private sector, so the everyday Dominicans can live a little better with a job that allows him/her to advance, along with their families, while keeping apace of the employment reality in the country.

Through the support offered by FOIL to the different labor observers in the region, the intention is to facilitate the insertion of workers in dignified, quality jobs. This will be geared especially toward women and young workers with little training due to the understanding about the work situation this tool makes available.

OMLAD

The Dominican Labor Observer (OMLAD) is a technical structure whose mission it is to permanently study the Dominican labor market using the research tools of social sciences in procuring a flow of information, objective knowledge and the employment of policy recommendations.

OMLAD forms part of the Labor Observer Networks of Central America and the Dominican Republic that is made up of six labor observer teams from a national arena and one from the regional, promoted by the Program for Training and Labor Insertion (FOIL) and financed by the AECID.

The organization is supported by the Labor Markets and Social Transference Program, of the Labor Ministry, which encourages research into its operations and development with technical assistance and financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The organic structure of OMLAD responds to the General Employment Office (DGE) and was founded as part of the Regulation of the Labor Ministry number 774-01 established in Article 15 in which the “General Employment Office (DGE) directs the process of definition of national employment policy seeking consensus with members of the community.”

It specifies, in addition, that among the DGE´s functions is: “To establish an adequate system to compile, process, and disseminate reliable information on the labor market and labor migration as well as to coordinate with training organizations for training when necessary.”

OMLAD will publish and circulate the results of the research among the government institutions, research centers, business organizations, workers and the general population for a public opinion response.

With the inauguration of the Observer Groups, three reports were published: Labor Market (micro-businesses); Total number of publicly SET-registered businesses in the Dominican Republic and the Labor Market Panorama.

Meeting of Labor Observer Networks Favor Creating Public Policy

General Coordinator of Spanish Cooperation in the Dominican Republic, Miguel Ángel Encinas.

Labor Minister, Mac Puig