Govt begins repatriation of displaced workers

A total of 151 displaced garment workers have left the island following the downsizing and closure of factories early this year.

The repatriation costs, according to press secretary Peter A. Callaghan, were taken from the government’s deportation account as well as repatriation fund.

Other workers were also repatriated directly by their employer.

To date, 151 workers have been sent back to China. The first group of 17 people were repatriated on March 17, the second batch left on April 2 via chartered flights to Shanghai, and the latest flight for 44 people took place yesterday morning.

“Workers have been repatriated since last week,” said Callaghan.

On April 9, about 30 workers are expected to leave and on April 12, 53 are scheduled to depart the island.

Callaghan said that Century Travel, which handles the chartered flights from China, has agreed to accommodate the workers.

“They agreed to open seats for the government for one-way fare of $300 [per passenger],” he said.

He also said the travel agency would further arrange the travel of the workers to their destinations once they arrive in China.

He said the deportation fund, which is under the Attorney General’s Office, has some $100,000. “There’s also a repatriation fund that was set up as part of the class action settlement lawsuit. It’s being used,” he said.

Callaghan said the government would later seek reimbursement from these workers’ factories.

“What the government would do is file a reimbursement claim against companies that have abandoned their workers. So when the assets of these companies are sold or when the court rules that these companies have to pay, the CNMI government would get reimbursed,” he said.

Some displaced La Mode workers went back to the Governor’s Office yesterday morning to ask the office to help them claim their unpaid wages. Some 70 of them held a rally outside the office Monday for the same reason.

On both occasions, attorney general Pamela Brown reportedly met with the group, assuring them that they would receive their payment.

Callaghan said the AGO-initiated hearing on La Mode workers’ case would happen later this month. “The purpose of the hearing is to see if they can expedite the payment of their back wages,” he said.

The workers said that La Mode failed to pay them for three pay periods.

The government said that workers have an option to depart the island now and wait for their payment in China or stay put and await the resolution of their case in the CNMI.

The workers said Monday that they prefer to stay on island.

There are over 1,000 estimated displaced garment workers on Saipan.