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Legislature eyes 4-day workweek
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Posted on Jan 09 2009
Legislative leaders are considering enacting a four-day workweek for the Legislature as a way to cut expenses.
The moves comes after Gov. Benigno R. Fitial recently announced a 5.5-percent budget cut against all government agencies during the rest of the 2009 fiscal year. According to Fitial, the proportionate cut will help the government, which expects to collect $156.7 million, to finish the fiscal year in the black.
“It would be a four-day paid workweek, one day would be unpaid,” said Senate President Pete Reyes, who has been discussing the matter with House Speaker Arnold Palacios. “It’s more like increasing the weekends, so we basically close down operations for one day a week, two days a pay period.”
Reducing the week by one day would actually reduce costs by more than 5 percent, probably about 10 percent, Reyes said.
“But at same time we’re not thinking about cutting down the employee salary,” he said. “This way we’re allowing employees to find other means, fishing for example, for subsistence of their families. Or finding a part-time job they can use to supplement their income.”
Reyes said they are waiting for final numbers from the Executive Branch before they make their decision.
A four-day week would affect the Legislature, he said.
“Anytime you cut down the hours that you provide service, it impacts the operation,” Reyes said. “But at the same time, we need to be very cognizant of the fact that we don’t have the resources. It’s a difficult decision to make. As much as we want to keep the office open, we must also recognize we have declining revenue. It will not sustain the present operation, so we need to find a way to try and make it less painful for the employees.”
Fitial, in his message to the Legislature about the 5.5 percent budget reduction, urged lawmakers to enact laws to help reduce current expenditures and to generate additional revenues.
“Measures imposing austerity Fridays, non-paid holidays, and a reduced employer contribution rate to the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund’s defined benefit plan would provide much needed relief in terms of managing the meager local resources needed to fund critical public services,” he said
