Countries › Dominican Republic › Guide › 7. Labor and employment › Unions, collective bargaining and strikes in the Dominican Republic

Unions, collective bargaining and strikes in the Dominican Republic

Last verified: 2026-10-30 · Status: Stable

Twenty workers can form a union, and those organizing it hold special protection against dismissal. A union must have an absolute majority of workers to bargain for a company, and agreements last one to three years. Strikes need a failed conciliation, a vote of over 51% and ten days' notice, and essential services cannot strike.

Key facts

Minimum members to form a worker union	20 membersLey 16-92 art. 324, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Representation needed to bargain for a company	Absolute majority textLey 16-92 art. 109, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Maximum term of a collective agreement	3 yearsLey 16-92 art. 115, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Strike vote needed	51 %Ley 16-92 art. 407, as of 2026-10-30 · in force
Notice before a strike	10 daysLey 16-92 art. 407, as of 2026-10-30 · in force

The rule

1. Worker unions may be by company, by profession or by branch of activity. They need at least 20 members. Employer unions need at least three.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 319 and art. 324, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

2. Directors, managers and administrators cannot join a worker union, nor can those in general direction, inspection or security roles.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 328, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

3. Registration is requested from the Ministry with statutes, founding minutes, member list and the call to the founding meeting. The Ministry has ten days to return papers for correction and 30 days to decide. Acts of an unregistered union are null.
Cost to do it: Union founding documents are exempt from taxes and duties under art. 729.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 374, art. 375, art. 376 and art. 377, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

4. Unfair practices include asking workers to stay out of a union, retaliation, firing or suspending for union membership, and refusing to negotiate without just cause.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 333, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

5. Union protection covers up to 20 founders, up to 5, 8 or 10 directors by company size, and up to 3 bargaining representatives.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 390, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

6. A protected worker's dismissal must first go to the Corte de Trabajo, which decides within five days. Otherwise the dismissal is null. Notice has no legal effect at all for protected workers.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 391 and art. 392, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

7. Protection lasts until three months after registration for founders and until eight months after leaving office for directors and representatives.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 393, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

8. A union represents all workers of a company if an absolute majority are members, leaving out management and inspection staff. A branch union needs a majority in the branch and has preference over a company union.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 109, art. 110 and art. 112, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

9. Closed shop clauses are void.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 106, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

10. A collective agreement must be written and filed with the Labor Department, then posted for 15 days. It lasts one to three years, one year by default, and renews unless denounced two months before expiry.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 113, art. 114 and art. 115, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

11. Terms apply to all workers of the company, even non members, except management and inspection staff unless stated. Terms stay in individual contracts after expiry unless agreed otherwise.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 118, art. 119 and art. 123, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

12. A strike needs written notice to the Ministry showing a dispute of collective interest, failed administrative conciliation with no arbitrators chosen, a vote of over 51% of workers, and that essential services are not included. It cannot begin until ten days after notice.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 407, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

13. Strikes are barred in essential services such as communications, water, gas or electricity, pharmacies and hospitals.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 403 and art. 404, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

14. A legal strike suspends contracts. An illegal one ends participants' contracts without employer liability, with a 24 hour return window when the only defect is procedural.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 411 and art. 412, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

15. A lockout has the same steps. An illegal one makes the employer pay wages and lets workers end the contract as if dismissed without cause.Ley 16-92, Código de Trabajo, art. 414, art. 415 and art. 417, 1992-05-29 official text · verified 2026-10-30

Company size	Protected directors
Up to 200 workers	5
201 to 399 workers	8
More than 400 workers	10

Union directors protected under art. 390

Worked example

A plant with 300 workers sees 25 employees file for a union. Up to 20 founders are protected until three months after registration, so a planned staff cut must be checked name by name first.

Step by step

Train supervisors on art. 333.
Log union notices received.
Send any dismissal of a protected worker to the Corte de Trabajo first.
Check majority before bargaining.
File the agreement and post it for 15 days.
Diary the two month denunciation date.

Common traps

A dismissal of a protected worker without the prior court step is null and does not end the contract.
Refusing to negotiate without cause is itself an unfair practice and counts as very serious.
The agreement binds non members too.
Expiry alone does not reset working conditions.

Sources

Código de Trabajo and complementary norms, Ministerio de Trabajo

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