Previous Story
The CNMI’s labor policy
|
Posted on May 13 2004
Q. Dear Dr. Ashraf, I read your Q & A column regularly and I find it very informative in regards to our social and economic issues. Would you please comment on our labor policy?
A. Local control over immigration is one of the key elements of the Covenant the CNMI negotiated with the United Sates at the time of joining THE political family of this great nation. Crafters of the Covenant knew what development challenges the CNMI faces due to its isolated geographic location and small size. I believe this feature of the Covenant is quite significant to bridge the income, standard of living, and the overall level of development gap between people of the CNMI and rest of the nation expeditiously.
Questions have been and continue to loom as to how well the CNMI developed and implemented its labor policy to advance its development. A high level of unemployment among locals and allegations of labor abuses receiving national publicity cast doubts on the minds of people on the appropriateness of our labor policy.
The publicity of labor abuses, whether real or not, has severely tarnished the otherwise hospitable and accommodating image of the people of CNMI. At the peak of this bad publicity, traveling abroad enabled one to hear many negative comments and expressions contrary to the reality of the CNMI being a serene and hospitable tropical paradise. At the local scene, the question of unemployment of locals continues to haunt politicians and they are looking for answers desperately. One answer that keeps coming up is to raise minimum wages, which is highly controversial and debatable option. Anyhow, labor policy needs to be carefully reviewed or perhaps rewritten to advance our development in a socially desired manner.
* * * *
Ashraf is an International Resource Economist. He is solely responsible for the views expressed in this column and doesn’t represent the views of Saipan Tribune. His email address is ashmdr@hotmail.com
