Bus drivers' strike continued to cause transportation disruptions

A bus drivers' strike continued to cause transportation disruptions in Punta Cana in the eastern Dominican Republic on 11 December 2008. Bus drivers from rival unions parked their vehicles on both sides of the main highway leading to Punta Cana International Airport (MDPC/PUJ), preventing thousands of tourists and workers from accessing the hotel zone for several hours. The Dominican Tourism Ministry plans to deploy police officers to the area to prevent further disruptions. The drivers -- who operate buses that provide transportation services for hotel employees and guests -- launched the strike in response to the recent arrest of a union leader on charges that he threatened a rival union member with a gun during an election dispute. The Tourism Ministry plans to implement various reforms to weaken the power of the unions in an effort to prevent rivalries between competing unions from causing disruptions. As the issue is unresolved, travellers should anticipate further possible transportation disruptions in Punta Cana.