Oman’s labour movement now boasts 324 trade unions

The 4th Conference of the General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW), an event held every four years to coincide with elections to select a new president and board of directors, began at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre (OCEC) on Wednesday under the auspices of Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs.

In attendance at the launch were a number of high officials representing the Arab and International Labour Organisation, as well as an assortment of Arab and regional trade union federations.

Present from Oman were delegates from a number of locally registered trade unions, and officials from five sectoral labour federations representing the Oil & Gas, Industry, Construction, Tourism and Power sectors.

Addressing the forum, Shaikh Nasr bin Amer bin Shuwain al Hosni, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Labour for Labour, said the Ministry has initiated dialogue with three key three production companies to ascertain their feedback on initiatives to strengthen labour market legislation and activate the private sector’s role in engaging with civil society institutions, including the General Federation of Oman Workers.

The ILO’s Decent Work Programme is also been discussed as part of this initiative, he said.

Nabhan bin Ahmed al Battashi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Federation of Oman Workers, said the grouping now includes 324 labour unions and 7 sectoral federations distributed across various economic activities and sectors.

The Federation’s mandate is to engage in meaningful dialogue through collective bargaining in boosting productivity and improving performance.

According to Faiz Ali al-Mutairi, Director-General of the Arab Labour Organization, efforts are ongoing to enhance the mechanisms of social dialogue between governments and social partners, in accordance with Arab labour standards, especially regarding trade union rights and freedoms, providing minimum wages, and expanding the social protection umbrella.

In a statement to the media, Faisal al Rawas, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “The conference, organised by the General Federation of Oman Workers, is one of the most important events as it represents one of the fundamental and important pillars of production.