Wage review committee sets another public hearing

The Special Industry Committee tasked to carry out a wage review will conduct another public hearing on Saipan next month in a move to solicit more comments from members of the private sector.

“Only after we have gathered enough comments from the people would we decide to sit down and start evaluating the data,” according to Susan S. J. Briola, chair of the committee.

Based on preliminary data the committee has gathered, employers who have expressed opposition against any increase in minimum wage have blamed the economic crisis as the main reason why they want to maintain the status quo.

Briola added that oral and written testimonies plus the data supplied by the Central Statistics Division will serve as the basis of a report and recommendations which the committee will submit to the Legislature by June 30, 1999.

The committee urged all employers, resident and non resident workers to attend the public hearing so that they can give their opinions to the committee. Public hearings for Saipan and Tinian residents were held on May 13, 1999 and May 20, 1999 respectively. The committee held a public hearing yesterday on the island-municipality of Rota.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has expressed optimism that the committee tasked to determine the new minimum wage for local industries will come up with a “workable” recommendation.

Despite the absence of representatives from the federal government, the committee has convened and started gathering the views of both the employers and employees.

Under fresh threats of a federal takeover of the commonwealth’s control over labor and minimum wage, the governor first met with committee members in January to begin the tedious work of reviewing the appropriate minimum wage for every industry in the CNMI.

Under Public Law 11-22, which abolished the Wage and Salary Review Board, nine members — three from the local employers and three from employees, including one non resident worker, and three representatives from the federal government — would comprise the committee.

The three members who will represent federal agencies will have to be appointed by the US Senate majority leader, the House Speaker and the labor administrator. However, until now Congress has yet to name its representatives, and there was no word whether they have declined the invitation of the commonwealth for federal participation.

The measure empowers the governor to determine whether to create one committee or separate wage boards to deal with every industry. He may consult with the wage administrator of the US Department of Labor on this issue.