Omanisation in large commercial establishments is feasible: Minister

Omanisation in large commercial establishments is feasible and it has been well-received, said the Minister of Manpower recently in an interview.

“Some other countries have also completely nationalized these sectors and after a study, we found that it is easy to apply in Oman. Even if there is a need for training, there are solutions and we have opened part-time work students in universities and also for housewives,” Dr. Mahad bin Said bin Ali Ba'owain, Minister of Labour.

The minister said the Ministry of Labour is not responsible only for employment generation, but it is a regulatory body for the sector, development of human resources, and the improvement of the performance of institutions and individuals.

He said some jobs occupied by expatriates are possible to replace, but for the rest of the jobs it cannot be pressured to replace them at the present time but can be done gradually.

He said the ministry’s quarterly report will be issued on Sunday and the previous target was to provide 32,000 job opportunities through replacement and work-related training.

Within three months, “We have managed 10,000 jobs, including 4,000 jobs in the government sector, 3,000 jobs via appointment procedures. Around 2,000 among them is training associated with employment. He said it is a positive sign despite the challenges.”

The Minister of Labor said that it is not possible to lay off without notifying the ministry, whether it is to end services or reduce wages.

The companies have to invite the workers ’union and the Ministry of Labour for a tripartite discussion to present and understand the real reasons behind these procedures.

The ministry was able to stop the layoffs of over 70,000 employees in companies, and that those who were released went protected under the Job Safety Fund. “Due to the economic situation, there are companies that may go bankrupt and therefore we take the dismissals from them and distribute them in other companies.

The new labour law has been discussed in detail and will be sent to the council of ministers for consideration after it has been reviewed by various authorities, Ba'owain said.

He said in an interview that the law was carefully reviewed by a ministerial committee that included members from the ministries of economy, finance, Commerce and Industry, and Investment Promotion, Justice and Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Labor, in addition to the participation of workers’ union and the Oman Chamber of Commerce.

It also took into account the situation of the pandemic, which led to a reduction in the number of workers due to the precautionary measures.