He said his department is working on a tight schedule. “We are giving ourselves three months at the most.”
Commerce, he added, “was given the directive to provide the necessary data to [the Department of] Labor.”
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce is also doing a prevailing wage survey.
The government survey will involve the Central Statistics Division, which will “collect data for integrity and accountability protection of all data collection.”
“Everything will be sealed,” Igisomar said. “The only thing that we will report to Labor will be positions, how many they are, average wage on a particular job description and benefits.”
The Central Statistics Division will gather data from the businesses on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
Igisomar said they may hire a local consultant who will assist in the methodology of the prevailing wage survey.
The survey, once completed, will be provided by the CNMI Department of Labor to local businesses, Igisomar said.
“We expect that they will be needing this survey possibly during the transition period and most importantly after,” he said, referring to employers.
The chamber of commerce said it will contract the services of the Guam Employers Council to conduct a prevailing wage survey in the CNMI.
The chamber has requested the participation of and collaboration with various business and civic organizations as well as the CNMI government.
The chamber said there will be no charge for receiving the wage survey report and all participants will receive copies when it is completed.
The chamber has yet to disclose the dates and times for the presentations on the survey, the methodology and how it will benefit the CNMI employers and employees.
The chamber’s contractor, the Employers Council, was established in 1966 and has been a source of comprehensive information and support on a host of human resource issues.
Currently at the helm of the organization is Monty McDowell of Advance Management Inc. He was elected president during the June 3 annual gathering of members.
Representatives of the Guam Employers Council will speak before chamber members during their July 6 meeting.
