Oman: Measures to regulate labour market effective from January 1

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Muscat: The measures aimed regulating Oman's labour market as announced by the Ministry of Labour will come into effect from tomorrow which the ministry recently announced to streamline the labour market and to clear the job market of illegal workers.

Accordingly, labour inspections will be carried out by the Ministry of Labour officials with the assistance of officials from the Safety and Security Establishment majorly in four governorates, Muscat, Dhofar, Al Batinah North and Al Batinah South.

"However, contrary to what is circulated, officials from the Safety and Security Establishment will not be carrying out any searches for labour law violators, instead they will just be assisting the inspection procedures. No inspection can be carried out by anyone other than the Ministry of Labour officials," said Nasser bin Salem al Hadhrami, Director-General of the General-Directorate of Labour in Dhofar Governorate.

Earlier, the Ministry of Labour entered into an agreement with the Safety and Security Establishment to give the status of judicial officers (inspection) starting January 1and to launch the inspection unit in conformation to the government’s keenness to adopt new policies to regulate the labour market.

Accordingly, the earlier decision to allow the SSE to carry out random labour inspections at organisations and to bring the illegal workers to law is cancelled considering that its employees do not fall within the concept of a public employee.

Speaking to the Observer, Al Hadhrami further said that the inspection of workers and workplaces will remain to be the responsibility of Ministry of Labour employees only and random inspection of workers and workplaces and issuance of violations will continue as before.

"These measures of bringing violators to law are aimed at improving services by raising the quality and efficiency of labour audit operations in accordance with the development taking place in the labour market and the country’s drive towards economic openness and facilitation of investments to the country," he added.