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Delayed salary prompts complaints
IPI says fund transfer issues caused payroll delay
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Posted on Apr 20 2020
Local employees of a construction company that has a construction contract with Imperial Pacific International (CNMI) LLC’s casino-resort project in Garapan are complaining that they have not received their salary for about one to two weeks now.
About 30 employees of AM Construction Group gathered in front and near their building in western Garapan to wait for their salary last Friday starting at 8am.
One employee was even carrying a placard that read: “Please pay for our sweat today. Why wait?”
When Saipan Tribune left at about 11am, the workers were still outside the company’s office.
When asked for comments yesterday, IPI said the company is experiencing issues with fund transfer, which caused the payroll delay. “We are doing all we can to ensure employee payroll disbursements are released as soon as possible and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused,” IPI said.
An AM Construction supervisor told Saipan Tribune Friday morning that they don’t know yet when the workers would get their salary. He did not elaborate.
A crane rigger said they already had a meeting with the company’s representatives Friday morning, but were told they could not promise to give their salary that day, Friday. The crane rigger, who requested anonymity, said the representatives told them to just wait, which is why they were still outside the company’s office. He said some of them have been protesting the non-payment of salary since last week.
Another worker said their company should pay them, regardless of their problem with IPI. “We are the ones suffering. We have bills to pay, too,” one worker said.
He said they worked only for two hours that day, Friday, and were told to stop work.
