Chamber, HANMI step up campaign for fair wage act changes

After examining the proposed implementing rules and regulations of the Resident Workers Fair Compensation Act, the Saipan Chamber of Commerce and the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands yesterday renewed their calls for public hearing so that the CNMI government can consider their suggested amendments to the law.

In separate letters sent to House Speaker Diego T. Benavente, Senate President Paul Manglona and Labor and Immigration Secretary Mark Zachares, the two organizations warned that failure to consider the recommended changes in Public Law 11-74 would result in gross inequities.

The public was given by DOLI until May 15, 1999 to comment on the proposed rules and regulations of Public Law 11-74 before these are adopted.

Public Law 11-74 states that locals whose wages are still below the prevailing minimum level in the United States are entitled to receive in-kind or the cash equivalent of the full benefits such as subsidized food, housing, local transportation, health insurance and medical care.

The law, which was signed by Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio last month provided that local residents earning less than an hourly wage of $5.15 to receive all benefits extended to foreign workers as mandated by existing laws.

According to David A. Wiseman, chairman of the Chamber’s government relations committee and legal counsel for HANMI, the holding of public hearing should at least temporarily suspend or delay the promulgation of the regulations.

The public hearings would help in solving the inequities which will affect the resident workers, employers and even non-resident workers once the law is implemented. Wiseman said.

While seeking amendments to the law, the Chamber and HANMI maintained that they are infavor of providing the fair compensation due to the resident workers but such changes must be made to avoid possible lawsuits which the employers may face if some of the confusing provisions are not immediately clarified.

“We agree with compensating local workers fairly and we understand the law, but we have difficulties implementing it because it’s very vague — without rules and regulations,” said Ron Sablan, president of HANMI.

The HANMI official noted that there were no formulas attached to the law specifying how to calculate the value of which benefits, for which job categories, over which period of time.

“This law really opens up a can of worms because it was so briefly worded. In these economic times, we really can’t afford to create further instability,” Sablan said.