Legislators and meteorologists reported the dismissal of hundreds of employees of the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the trial period.
Hundreds of meteorologists and other employees of the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA in English) in the trial period were fired on Thursday, legislators and climatologists reported.
The cuts in the NOA seemed to be occurring in two rounds, one of 500 and another of 800, said Craig McLean, an exciention in chief of the NOAA who claimed to have obtained the information of someone with first -hand knowledge. That represents approximately 10% of the agency's workforce.
The first round of layoffs included employees in the trial period, McLean said. At present, there are approximately 375 proof period workers in the National Meteorological Service (NWS, in English), where daily forecasts and hazard warnings are carried out.
The dismissals occur in the midst of the efforts of the administration of President Donald Trump for cutting expenses and reducing the dimension of the Federal Labor Force, which the president has described excessive.
“Today, hundreds of employees of the National Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOA), including meteorologists from the National Meteorological Service (NWS), received dismissal notices without a good reason. This is inconceivable, ”said Democratic Representative Grace Meng in a statement.
The representative Jared Huffman, who is the member of the Democratic minority who has the highest rank in the Natural Resources Commission of the House of Representatives, also indicated that “hundreds of NOAA scientists and experts” were fired.
The Trump administration ordered federal agencies on Wednesday to develop plans to initiate a “significant reduction” of its templates, according to a memorandum.
The directive indicates that each agency must submit its proposals before March 13. The cuts would not only imply the dismissal of employees, but would eliminate the positions completely.
“The federal government is expensive, inefficient and deeply indebted,” says Russell Vought memorandum, director of the White House Administration and Budget Office, and Charles Ezell, interim director of the Office of Federal Government of the United States Federal Government, which functions as a human resources agency.
“At the same time, it is not producing results for the American public,” continues the text.
(With information from The Associated Press)