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‘Repatriation requests going up’
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Posted on May 09 2005
More and more nonresident workers who have lost their jobs due to closures and downsizing in the local garment industry are getting interested in returning to their home country, according to federal ombudsman Jim Benedetto.
But he was quick to add that majority of the former garment workers still want to remain on island and seek new employment.
Citing his day-to-day dealings with garment workers visiting the Federal Ombudsman’s Office, Benedetto said that the workers could be divided into several groups.
There are those who simply want repatriation, those who want to receive their unpaid wages before they get repatriated, and those who want to be able to stay and work.
“I think [people’s concerns] depend on whether or not they believe there are jobs out there. Those people who think there are still jobs that they can get, obviously want to stay and get jobs,” he said.
“I think more and more workers are concluding that there are not many jobs out there for them. But from my perspective, it’s still not a majority; majority still want to stay and work,” he added.
About 1,000 workers lost their jobs with the recent closure of three garment companies: La Mode (Saipan) Inc., Sako Corp., and Mariana Fashions Inc.
In related news, Benedetto also expressed regret over the resignation of Richard Pienrce as executive director of the Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association.
“I’ve always found Richard Pierce an extremely helpful presence for SGMA. He has a very good perspective on the issues relating to the garment industry. He never passed up an opportunity to make the case on their behalf and he backs it up with facts and figures. I think he will be missed,” Benedetto said.
Pierce resigned from SGMA effective May 1, 2005, amid continued decline in the garment industry.
Pierce, who held the job for 21 years, said his resignation was prompted by three reasons: “The association is trying to do the best it can with its limited resources, I feel I have accomplished what I had set out to do, and lastly, I wanted to pursue another venture.”
