Oman marks International Workers’ Day
Published: 07:05 AM,May 04,2025 | EDITED : 11:05 AM,May 04,2025
Muscat: The General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW) commemorated International Workers’ Day on Sunday, 4 May 2025, held under the patronage of Dr Mahad bin Said Ba’owain, Minister of Labour. The event brought together senior officials, representatives from the private sector, civil society organisations, and trade union leaders from across the Sultanate, alongside several journalists.
The ceremony, aligned with global celebrations of International Workers’ Day, highlighted the vital role of trade unions in improving workplace conditions and safeguarding the rights of employees, particularly within Oman’s private sector. It also served as a platform to honour winners of the 2025 Trade Union Excellence Award and unveil strategic initiatives to advance labour representation and digital transformation.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the Trade Union Excellence Award, an intellectual property of GFOW.
The award recognises outstanding contributions from labour unions, government entities, private companies, and civil society institutions that support and strengthen trade unionism in Oman. The goal is to incentivise continued engagement across sectors to promote balance and social stability in the labour market.
The award includes six categories: trade unions, general sectoral unions, union representatives, supportive government entities or their delegates, civil society organisations, and private sector institutions or their representatives.
As part of its commitment to modernising union operations, GFOW officially launched its new Digital Trade Union Data Management System. The platform aims to streamline procedures, enhance internal communication, unify labour data nationwide, and foster transparency in union governance.
Additionally, the federation unveiled a new membership benefit platform, “I’tizaz”, in partnership with Omani fintech firm Thawani, which provides exclusive offers and discounts for registered union members through affiliated private-sector partners.
GFOW’s 2024 Annual Report revealed notable progress in the expansion and institutional development of trade unions across Oman. The total number of registered unions reached 335 by the end of 2024, with the highest concentration in Muscat Governorate (161 unions), followed by North Al Batinah (72) and Al Wusta (48). The number of general sectoral unions increased to eight, covering critical sectors such as industry, energy, education, transport, and tourism.
Throughout 2024, GFOW organised 33 training and awareness programmes, benefiting 1,559 participants. These focused on new labour legislation, occupational safety, wage protection systems, and employment rights for persons with disabilities.
The report also highlighted a sharp rise in contract termination complaints. GFOW dealt with 2,473 cases of employee dismissals from 25 establishments. These cases stemmed from corporate bankruptcies, group layoffs, and delayed wage payments. The federation also handled 453 legal consultations and provided 79 direct legal interventions, all of which resulted in favourable court rulings for workers — a 100% success rate for resolved cases.
In terms of collective bargaining, the federation facilitated 90 collective labour agreements in 2024 across sectors such as oil and gas, education, healthcare, construction, and services. A resolution rate of 88.9% was achieved through negotiation, with the remaining disputes referred to the courts.
Women’s representation in union leadership continued to grow. A total of 225 women were active in female union committees, with 32 participating in collective bargaining rounds. GFOW signed a cooperation agreement with Jibreen Academy to enhance the skills and leadership capabilities of female union members.
The federation also strengthened its international presence by participating in 13 global conferences and nine specialised training programmes. These included the International Labour Conference in Geneva and the Arab Labour Conference in Baghdad. GFOW signed cooperation agreements with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation to promote best practices in labour representation and cross-border solidarity.
GFOW also played an active role in monitoring and advocating for key legislative reforms. These included the Wage Protection Regulation (Decision 729/2024), Labour Dispute Conciliation Procedures (Decision 451/2024), new grievance and disciplinary codes (Decisions 618 and 619/2024), and an updated list of professions restricted to non-Omani workers.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Chief among them are inconsistent compliance with occupational safety regulations and a rising trend of economic-based layoffs. GFOW’s future strategy includes expanding the scope of legal protection for workers, strengthening the role of collective bargaining, and enhancing the legislative environment to promote a fair, balanced, and productive labour market.
This year’s celebration of International Workers’ Day served not only as a reflection of the federation’s achievements but also as a reaffirmation of Oman’s commitment to empowering its workforce. As the country advances towards the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, trade unions are set to remain a vital partner in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and rights-based national economy.
The ceremony, aligned with global celebrations of International Workers’ Day, highlighted the vital role of trade unions in improving workplace conditions and safeguarding the rights of employees, particularly within Oman’s private sector. It also served as a platform to honour winners of the 2025 Trade Union Excellence Award and unveil strategic initiatives to advance labour representation and digital transformation.
A key highlight of the event was the presentation of the Trade Union Excellence Award, an intellectual property of GFOW.
The award recognises outstanding contributions from labour unions, government entities, private companies, and civil society institutions that support and strengthen trade unionism in Oman. The goal is to incentivise continued engagement across sectors to promote balance and social stability in the labour market.
The award includes six categories: trade unions, general sectoral unions, union representatives, supportive government entities or their delegates, civil society organisations, and private sector institutions or their representatives.
As part of its commitment to modernising union operations, GFOW officially launched its new Digital Trade Union Data Management System. The platform aims to streamline procedures, enhance internal communication, unify labour data nationwide, and foster transparency in union governance.
Additionally, the federation unveiled a new membership benefit platform, “I’tizaz”, in partnership with Omani fintech firm Thawani, which provides exclusive offers and discounts for registered union members through affiliated private-sector partners.
GFOW’s 2024 Annual Report revealed notable progress in the expansion and institutional development of trade unions across Oman. The total number of registered unions reached 335 by the end of 2024, with the highest concentration in Muscat Governorate (161 unions), followed by North Al Batinah (72) and Al Wusta (48). The number of general sectoral unions increased to eight, covering critical sectors such as industry, energy, education, transport, and tourism.
Throughout 2024, GFOW organised 33 training and awareness programmes, benefiting 1,559 participants. These focused on new labour legislation, occupational safety, wage protection systems, and employment rights for persons with disabilities.
The report also highlighted a sharp rise in contract termination complaints. GFOW dealt with 2,473 cases of employee dismissals from 25 establishments. These cases stemmed from corporate bankruptcies, group layoffs, and delayed wage payments. The federation also handled 453 legal consultations and provided 79 direct legal interventions, all of which resulted in favourable court rulings for workers — a 100% success rate for resolved cases.
In terms of collective bargaining, the federation facilitated 90 collective labour agreements in 2024 across sectors such as oil and gas, education, healthcare, construction, and services. A resolution rate of 88.9% was achieved through negotiation, with the remaining disputes referred to the courts.
Women’s representation in union leadership continued to grow. A total of 225 women were active in female union committees, with 32 participating in collective bargaining rounds. GFOW signed a cooperation agreement with Jibreen Academy to enhance the skills and leadership capabilities of female union members.
The federation also strengthened its international presence by participating in 13 global conferences and nine specialised training programmes. These included the International Labour Conference in Geneva and the Arab Labour Conference in Baghdad. GFOW signed cooperation agreements with the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions and the International Transport Workers’ Federation to promote best practices in labour representation and cross-border solidarity.
GFOW also played an active role in monitoring and advocating for key legislative reforms. These included the Wage Protection Regulation (Decision 729/2024), Labour Dispute Conciliation Procedures (Decision 451/2024), new grievance and disciplinary codes (Decisions 618 and 619/2024), and an updated list of professions restricted to non-Omani workers.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. Chief among them are inconsistent compliance with occupational safety regulations and a rising trend of economic-based layoffs. GFOW’s future strategy includes expanding the scope of legal protection for workers, strengthening the role of collective bargaining, and enhancing the legislative environment to promote a fair, balanced, and productive labour market.
This year’s celebration of International Workers’ Day served not only as a reflection of the federation’s achievements but also as a reaffirmation of Oman’s commitment to empowering its workforce. As the country advances towards the objectives of Oman Vision 2040, trade unions are set to remain a vital partner in shaping a sustainable, inclusive, and rights-based national economy.