Governor Benigno R. Fitial’s latest executive order declaring the CNMI under a state of emergency disaster essentially aimed at exempting CUC from certain environmental regulations that could stall Aggreko’s operations also allows the agency to hire foreign workers.
CUC Executive Director Antonio Muna said they will source out jobs if it’s necessary to ensure uninterrupted power supply on Saipan.
CUC and the Department of Labor began yesterday identifying foreign workers who can work at the power plants.
“Our focus here is to get qualified personnel,” Muna said.
At least 19 non-U.S. citizens positions must be filled at CUC.
Muna said subcontracting the job to an employment agency is also one of their options.
“Our focus here is on the solution of the problem and we need additional personnel,” he said.
Sen. Paul Manglona, the chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Public Utilities, Transportation and Communication, said there’s a need for all government agencies to closely coordinate with the Labor Department.
“We need to have this matching of human resources needed from other agency on the list from the Labor office,” the senator said.
Manglona said there’s an urgent need to run the CUC’s power plants by competent personnel.
The Labor office, he added, can provide sufficient manpower even for apprenticeship and trainer that can be utilized in the future needs.
