Saipan Chamber of Commerce president Charles V. Cepeda cautioned the Fitial administration yesterday on its workforce reduction plan, saying the business community would be unable to accommodate displaced employees at this time of economic slump. <\/p>\n
Cepeda raised this during Friday\u2019s press briefing at the Governor\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
He said that, while the business group supports the downsizing within the government, it has to be done prudently.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are concerned as to where they [displaced employees] are going. We want to be careful with that because we may not be able to accommodate them,\u201d said Cepeda.<\/p>\n
In response, Fitial said his administration had discussed the issue of local employment with both the chamber and the Workforce Investment Agency.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore you became the president of the chamber,\u201d Fitial addressed Cepeda, smiling, \u201cwe had a meeting with Alex Sablan and WIA. \u2026Our goal is to train people to go into the private sector, [not the other way around],\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cepeda then asked what the administration is doing for current employees that would be displaced from the government.<\/p>\n
The governor said personnel training is being conducted by the Office of Personnel Management.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have a full-time trainer at OPM since most of our workforce are not trained,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Fitial said OPM will start a desk audit government-wide to ensure that every personnel is actually performing work.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody should have something to do. There are cases where three, four, five people are doing the work of one person,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Cepeda\u2019s concern on the displacement of government workers came even as the newly created Department of Public Lands is implementing a workforce reduction program.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy concern is not just one agency. It\u2019s government-wide. If it happens, these people have no choice but go to the private sector,\u201d Cepeda said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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