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(a) The positions of the employees who avail themselves of the Voluntary Early Retirement Program shall not be held by any newly hired personnel. Any persons who at present work in the Employee Service Program shall be relocated in different Programs within the Department and shall be given priority to hold any vacant positions that may arise from the implementation of the Voluntary Early Retirement Program after January 30, 2009. The positions existing at present in the Employee Service Program shall be eliminated in their entirety. The unused funds consigned for the implementation of this Voluntary Retirement Plan shall be reallocated within the Department of Labor in order to protect the employment security and the benefits of the employees that are affected or relocated within the Department.The Department shall take the necessary measures for the implementation of this chapter. The employees who avail themselves of the Voluntary Early Retirement Program shall continue working and shall train the internal personnel who shall assume their functions, if any, from August 1, 2008, until January 30, 2009.(b) The Department shall take the necessary measures to ensure the optimum use

shall train the internal personnel who shall assume their functions, if any, from August 1, 2008, until January 30, 2009.(b) The Department shall take the necessary measures to ensure the optimum use of the administrative and operational resources. All these measures shall be taken in strict compliance with all applicable laws, and the collective bargaining agreement in effect, while duly observing the Merit Principle, as well as the legal provisions that prohibit discrimination on the grounds of political beliefs and age, and taking into account the rights of the public employees working in said entity vested by the legislation or regulations in effect. History —July 29, 2008, No. 136, §§ 8, 9.