Oman unveils amended Labour Law

New amendments to Oman's Labour Law legislate on a host of contentious issues, including workplace conditions of female employees, arbitrary dismissals, handling of runaways, and holiday entitlements. In a statement to the official Oman News Agency (ONA), Manpower Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bakri said the amendments were drafted in consultation with the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) and the General Confederation of Labour Unions of the sultanate. Inputs from the private sector, as well as other stakeholders, were taken into account as well, he noted. Significantly, the changes to the Labour Law stem from a wave of protests and sit-ins staged by Omanis demanding, among other things, employment, better wages and improved benefits. In response, the government increased the minimum monthly wage for Omani nationals to 200 Omani riyals per. It also promised an overhaul of the Labour Law to enshrine the newly earned rights and prerogatives of employees and labour unions. The minimum wage structure prescribed for Omanis has been embraced by the great majority of private firms, Al Bakri said, warning that the ministry will take defaulters to task.