Industries discard U.S. report of child, forced labor in sugar business

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic Industries Association (AIRD) on Monday announced its support for the national sugar industry which if affirms complies with Dominican laws and international agreements, in response to reports from the U.S that it uses child labor.

The AIRD said there’s not evidence of child labor in that industry, as certified by Labor minister Maritza Hernández, and the federation of labor unions (CASC).

AIRD’s statement is in response to a report released by the U.S Department of Labor which accuses the country of forced and child labor in the country’s sugar industry.

It slammed international reports which in its view are based on secondary sources and in the opinion of people who lack objectivity, resorting to prejudices and unreliable information.

The AIRD adds that the report by Georgetown University professors Robert Bednarzik and Andrea Kern doesn’t conclude that there’s forced labor or child labor in Dominican Republic’s sugar industry.