Sunday, November 11, 2007

761- KNEE JERK LAWS

THIS IS MORE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE NEW
'SCREW YOU' LABOR LAW
I refer you to Posts # 755 and Post # 756 if you have not read these and their 'comments' before, they are a must read...
Benedetto: New Labor Law Will Have Damaging Effect:
Federal Ombudsman Jim Benedetto yesterday expressed concern over some sections in the new labor reform law that, according to him, will have damaging effects on alien workers.
In an interview with Saipan Tribune, Benedetto said he is disappointed that the Legislature disagreed with him on some of his concerns relating to the bill but he emphasized that he respects the legislators' decision to do what they think is best. Of the particular concern to Chamber and HANMI are the provisions in the bill that require foreign workers to exit the CNMI periodically, maintain the Moratorium Law, raise the minimum percentage of local workers in private forms, and eliminate job transfers.
Benedetto said it is good to keep talking about the issue because there are still differences in the interpretation of some of the law's provisions, as shown by Rep. Cinta Kaipat when she wrote her open letter to him. For instance, Kaipat had cited that she did not intend for people whose contract has expired or has not yet been approved to be excluded from the law. “If the person who wrote the bill says that but the bill says something else or even if the bill is kind of ambiguous and we're not clear about what it is saying, maybe that's a good reason to take another look at it and clarify the intent,” Benedetto said.
He underscored the need for everybody to understand what's in the law so it can be enforced clearly and efficiently. “Because if the legislators and the lawyers don't understand what's in the law, how can you expect the people at Labor that enforce the law to know what's in the law or the employers to know what's in the law?” he asked.
CNMI attorney Mark B. Hanson said the bill “might as well be called the ‘Omnibus Contract Worker Enslavement Act… or the ‘End of the Law Abiding Commonwealth Business Act… or some combination of the two.”
Federal Labor Ombudsman Jim Benedetto described some of its provisions “as mean-spirited and punitive, which will only reinforce the reputation of the CNMI as a place
where workers are subject to rampant abuse.”
What a friggin mess the authors bon't even know what the hell they are trying to accomplish, only that they want to screw someone and look good at the same time. Its the old pat yourself on the back and cover your own ass at the same time...
Please read the afore mentioned posts....# 755 and #756. Click on the blue letters at top of the post......
.....GED.....

4 comments:

bigsoxfan said...

Once again, the cnmi gov't seems bent on making themselves look bad. They had a chance of achieving some of their lobbying goals with the grandfathering/ dependants clause hanging fire, but the labor bill is going to light the fire anew under the demo's.

I would be hating life as a contract worker with the job supply scrunching, the more odorous qualitites of the labor bill, living costs steadily spiraling upwards, and dependance on the goodwill of the US congress for a future life in the land of the big px.

A case could be made for the labor bill being a blessing in disguise for those able to tough out the next few months, as it might possibly breathe new life into the grandfathering and dependent clauses.

glend558 said...

Pounding nails into the coffin, is the way I describe it.. I did suggest, as you mentioned, it could be a big help to changes in the fed's final bill..

Lil' Hammerhead said...

Lashing out at the people they want to percieve as being the harbingers of our problems with the feds. Number one.. they and those before them allowed the influx of workers. Number two.. they and others before them allowed the past abuses and low wages. Number three.. they are the ones who didn't do the work necessary to address the feds (did you see the DC hearings - horrible), and are still doing nothing reasonable and Number four.. they and those before them have always been either apathetic or outright hostile towards the people who have built most of this island and taken care of its' children.

glend558 said...

It is a strange and winding road these people are following, it is only a guess as what the outcome will be in the long haul. I don't see any advantages or reasoning in the direction they have chosen to take..
Did you all read the comments from Jonas regarding this issue? They are under either 755 or 756. The man wonders just as we do.