Senate to draft special law to regulate Uber workers

Santo Domingo.- The special Senate committee overseeing labor reform has decided to exclude digital platform workers—such as those employed by Uber and Pedidos Ya—from the upcoming amendments to the Labor Code. Instead, these workers will be addressed under a separate, specialized law, due to the complex legal and regulatory challenges involved.

This decision marks a departure from the proposal by Labor Minister Eddy Olivares, who had strongly advocated for including platform workers in the Labor Code update introduced by the Executive Branch eight months ago.

Senator Rafael Barón Duluc, who chairs the reform committee, explained that while digital platform workers won’t be included in the Labor Code revisions, efforts will continue to legally recognize and regulate new forms of employment in line with International Labor Organization (ILO) standards. The updated Labor Code will, however, incorporate new provisions on telework, workplace harassment, and other modern labor issues previously unaddressed.

The senator added that 90% of the articles in the revised code have been finalized, and the committee aims to conclude deliberations this week and submit the final report to the Senate Plenary for a vote.