Muscat: The General Federation of Oman Workers (GFOW), in its annual report for 2024 said that most of the complaints received were linked to the termination of employment contracts unilaterally by the employer without legitimate justification, termination of contracts due to the completion of projects assigned to establishments or due to the bankruptcy and liquidation of establishments.
Other issues included non-payment of wages or bonuses, or delay in their payment, failure to comply with the provisions of the occupational safety and health measures regulations, and transferring the Omani staff to different work sites other than the site agreed upon and specified in the employment contract.
In some cases, GFOW managed to ensure non-termination of employment contracts of the Omanis, and their continued employment in accordance with the provisions of the employment contract, employing the Omanis on a wide scale in establishments, and directing departments to train and qualify the Omani workforce, and raise their professional level.
It also referred Omanis whose services have been terminated from establishments referred for liquidation or permanently closed to the Job Security Fund to benefit from the financial benefit until suitable job opportunities are provided to them.
Among challenges, GFOW said it is to expand the scope of social protection for low-income workers and strengthen it regularly through strategies and programs that take current economic developments into account.
It also highlighted the issue of periodic review of the minimum wage for workers in the private sector, which limits workers' ability to meet their basic living needs.
GFOW said that the six-month payment period for the job security allowance is insufficient, given the limited number of suitable job opportunities, and called for its alignment with the reality of the labor market
It also called for determining a minimum retirement pension due to retired workers from private sector establishments.
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