Declaration in support of the national movement for a new health and social security system in the Dominican Republic
(Santo Domingo, DN) A national movement for Health and Social Security, made up of labor unions, networks of workers in the popular economy, social and women's organizations; universities, academic centers and researchers, social movements and civil society organizations, as well as professional associations and colleges, mobilized massively this January 23 for a comprehensive change to the social security model and the creation of a new health, social protection and pension system in the Dominican Republic.
The purpose of this first march was to have the following objectives for all Dominican and regional institutions and organizations that support the trade union federations:
1. Change the commodification model of social security and healthcare established in the 2001 reform, which is a copy of the cases of Chile and Colombia. Denounce that this reform is in deep crisis in Latin America and that Law 87-01 was merely the legal basis for enriching and favoring private actors in their profit maximization in the health and pension sectors (AFPs, ARSs, Banks, Providers).
2. Immediately halt the processing in the National Congress of the Executive Branch's proposal for a new modification to pension commissions, which in practice implies an increase in the lucrative profits of Pension Fund Administrators (AFPs) to the detriment of dignified pensions and the rights of workers and Dominican society to an old age with universal, dignified and quality social protection.
3. To reform the Social Security and Health System, including the Social Protection and Pension System in the Dominican Republic. To this end, convene a broad, multi-sectoral national debate for the democratic design of a new National Social Security System, with public pay-as-you-go pensions, where social protections are a fundamental human right of citizenship, and a national public health system that responds to the collective needs of Dominican society to achieve a healthy quality of life throughout the country.
“This march stems from the challenge of uniting the agendas and proposals of the various actors in health and social security to transform ourselves into a large national movement to fight for a new public social security system. The priority is to work on designing a new system that, based on the recognition of collective social rights, guarantees comprehensive, universal, and quality access to collective health care, social protections, and dignified pensions for workers and society as a whole,” states the national call to action.
January 2020
CLACSO Working Group
International Health and Health Sovereignty
They convene and sign:
Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES)
Dominican Medical Association-National District (CMD)
National Health Coordinator (CONASALUD)
National Social Protection Network, ASONAEN (National Nursing Association)
Alliance for the Right to Health (ADESA)
Doctors of the World, the Popular Health Collective (COSALUP)
Alliance Coalition of Dominican NGOs for the Right to Health
ALAMES (Latin American Association of Social Medicine) Health Systems and Policies Network
Juan Bosch Foundation
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO RD)
National Confederation of Rural Women (CONAMUCA)
AMUSSOL (Mutual Association of Solidarity Services)
Sociocultural Movement for Haitian Workers (MOSCTHA)
Multiple Myeloma Patient Foundation
A Friend Like You Foundation
Dominican Foundation against Parkinson's Disease
Institute for the Development of Associative Economy (IDEAC)
Comprehensive Ethnic Foundation (FEI)
Autonomous Confederation of Class-Based Trade Unions (CASC)
National Confederation of Dominican Workers (CNTD)
National Confederation of Trade Union Unity (CNUS)
Inter-Union Committee of Working Women (CIMTRA)
