CNMI senator says wage hike not to blame for collapse in garment industry
\nRadio New Zealand International, New Zealand<\/p>\n
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Posted at 18:54 on 03 June, 2014 UTC
\nA senator in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas says the federal minimum wage rise can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be blamed for the expected collapse of the garment industry, whose workers earn the bare minimum.
\nShe says she supports moves by the U.S. Congress to raise the U.S minimum wage from $3.05 an hour to $7.25.
\nIn CNMI, the minimum wage will increase by 50 cents in two months and 50 cents every year following until local wages have reached the federal wage rate.<\/p>\n
Senator Maria Pangelinan says the wage rise is great news, because the cost of living is steadily rising, but minimum wage earnings haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t changed.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We use the garment industry as an excuse that is no longer an issue at this point. Y\u00e2\u20ac\u2122know the competition from emerging nations where wages are sometimes only 1 dollar per day, is probably more than our nation can endure, even if the minimum wages doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t increase. And the cost of living here has been steadily rising over the past 10 years and so the minimum wage earner at the bottom of the scale is experiencing less buying power.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nSenator Maria Pangelinan says there has been widespread concern from the Governor and the private sector about declining garment sales since 2005, when a World Trade organisation ruling opened up the U.S. market to competition from other countries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
CNMI senator says wage hike not to blame for collapse in garment industry Radio New Zealand International, New Zealand Posted at 18:54 on 03 June, 2014 UTC A senator in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas says the federal minimum wage rise can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be blamed for the expected collapse of the garment industry, whose workers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n