Laws in Oman protect rights of domestic workers: OHRC

Muscat: The Sultanate is home to 202,368 female domestic workforce of all nationalities in Oman and their rights are well defined in the laws, according to the Oman Human Rights Commission (OHRC).

The OHRC said that laws in the Sultanate of Oman ensure that workers are paid their (agreed-upon) monthly wages within seven days of each month's end, provided with sufficient food and accommodation, and receive medical care from their employer throughout their contract.

In addition, the law also mandates that domestic workers have break time during the day, as well as a weekly rest day, and are entitled to leave after the agreed-upon period in their employment contract.

The law emphasizes the importance of providing decent and humane treatment that upholds the worker's dignity.

Furthermore, domestic workers are provided with a return ticket to their home country, which is covered by the recruitment agency within 180 days of their arrival if it is determined that their job is different from the one specified in the recruitment permit, if they are mentally ill or contagious, or if they have a disability that prevents them from performing their duties.

Domestic workers may also be given a return ticket at the employer's expense after the contract period expires or due to the employer's violation of the contract.

The Sultanate of Oman enforces a legal framework that ensures the rights of workers in alignment with international labor norms, the Basic Statute of State, the Omani Labour Law, ministerial resolutions, Convention No 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labour, ILO Convention No 29 on Forced Labour, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.

In situations where domestic workers fall victim to human trafficking and are subjected to exploitation beyond the bounds of their employment contract or coerced into illicit labor, they may report to the National Committee for Combating Human Trafficking. This committee takes appropriate actions to protect the impacted workers and oversee their rights.

Various methods for receiving workers' reports have been designated:

1) In-person attendance

2) hotline numbers

3) Text messaging

4) WhatsApp

5) Voicemail

6) Email

7) Website