Subcontractors held up worker pay
After several delays, Imperial Pacific International Holdings has received permission to begin gaming operations at its permanent casino on Saipan, in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
The opening was stalled first due to construction delays from a 2106 typhoon, then after commissioners noted safety issues at the construction site, according to CalvinAyre.com. In March a pile of trash was accidentally ignited at the property, and in the same month, a worker fell to his death. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration imposed fines of $194,000 against three IPI contractors who did not observe strict safety standards.
The resort operator must also pledge that its contracted firms will hire only authorized laborers and pay them according to their contracts. Some workers claim to have gone months without being paid, and earlier this month the CCC discovered that one subcontractor hadn’t paid some workers in six months.
Commission Executive Director Edward Deleon Guerre Deleon Guerrero told the Saipan Tribune that the “gaming part is ready to go. The issue now is safety.”
Until the permanent casino opens, the company’s temporary casino, known as Best Sunshine Live, will continue to operate out of a shopping mall in Garapan.
