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IPI rep: MCC, Beilida fled
IPI shoulders illegal workers’ compensation
Representatives of both MCC International and Beilida Overseas (CNMI) Ltd. have reportedly fled the island, according to an unnamed Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC representative.
The representative reportedly told the remaining 40-some illegal Chinese workers that were recruited to build the upcoming casino hotel resort that the two companies have already fled the islands.
Saipan Tribune learned from a source who refused to be named that IPI is willing to shoulder the compensation for the illegal workers who did not get paid for their work in the last eight months.
It was reported that IPI is willing to pay the workers the minimum wage along with overtime compensation that they are owed, according to the CNMI Department of Labor, plus a plane ticket—provided that they agree to return to China.
The illegal workers are owed over two months worth of construction work as well as overtime compensation, assuming they worked nine hours a day.
The source said the workers reportedly responded that, on top of the amounts that they should have been paid all along, “there must be some additional compensation” for making them wait on the island for nearly half a year.
According to the source, an unnamed IPI representative visited the workers at their barracks yesterday.
The source noted that a previous batch of 200-plus illegal workers under MCC and Suzhou Gold Mantis Construction Decoration, both of which settled with the U.S. Department of Labor, received back pay based on the minimum wage—including overtime pay—as well as liquidated damages and compensation for the recruitment fees the workers paid to come to Saipan.
According to the source, CNMI Labor returned to the illegal Chinese workers’ dormitory last night with calculations of how much each worker would receive.
