Labor Chief Confident In Kaipat's Capability

Wednesday February 20, 2008

Local

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Labor chief confident in Kaipat's capability

By Ferdie de la Torre
Reporter

Labor Secretary Gil M. San Nicolas has expressed confidence that former representative Cinta Kaipat will perform her new job well as Labor deputy secretary, particularly in the outreach program for Public Law 15-108 or the new labor reform law and its regulations.

San Nicolas told Saipan Tribune that everyone knows that Kaipat used to work at Labor as administrative hearing officer.

“With her knowledge and expertise, she can help the department educate and inform the community, especially the employers and the workers regarding the new law and the new procedures that's taking place in the department,” he said.

As lawmaker, Kaipat was the principal author of the controversial P.L. 15-108.

In an earlier interview, Kaipat said she is focusing on the community outreach program to educate the public about the new law.

Kaipat said she is very happy because the outreach program that she already started has been getting positive response from employers and employees.

Before she became a lawmaker, Kaipat used to serve as Labor administrative hearing officer for five years.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said Kaipat as Labor deputy secretary will be in charge of community outreach “to be sure everyone understands the much-improved structure of our citizen worker-preference and or guest worker program.”

The governor said that, as author of the new labor reform law, the former congresswoman spent more than a year in getting it drafted in a way that took into account the input from all parts of the community, including new provisions for foreign workers.