331

The Department of Labor And Human Resources, hereinafter the 'Department' shall implement a Voluntary Early Retirement Program which shall only include those employees who hold positions in said government entity and may avail themselves of a pension for years of service pursuant to the provisions of §§ 761 et seq. of this title, and meet the requirements of § 332 of this title to opt for the same. The employees of the operating components of the Department are not covered under this chapter.The implementation of the Voluntary Early Retirement Program for the Employees of the Department authorized herein shall be in strict compliance with all applicable labor laws, the collective bargaining agreements in effect, while duly observing the Merit Principle, as well as the legal provisions that prohibit discrimination on the grounds of political beliefs, and taking into account the vested rights of the public employees working in said agency. History —July 29, 2008, No. 136, § 1.