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Muscat Daily
05-08-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Shura committee calls for resumption of job security benefits
Muscat – The Youth and Human Resources Committee of Majlis A'Shura has called for immediate resumptionof the job security benefit previously extended to laid-off workers, citing significant social and economic repercussions of its suspension. Chaired by Younis al Mandhari, the committee met on Tuesday to examine the impact of freezing the benefit disbursed by Social Protection Fund. Members raised concerns about the worsening living conditions of those affected and emphasised the need to resume the aid to ensure psychological and social stability for impacted individuals and their families. The committee urged relevant authorities to take immediate steps, including empowering governorates and promoting decentralised decision-making in employment and redundancy matters. Members noted that such an approach would facilitate faster, locally-tailored solutions aligned with the specific needs of each governorate. There was strong emphasis on the need to create job opportunities based on qualifications and professional experience of laid-off workers, alongside implementation of requalification and skills development programmes to support their reintegration into the labour market. The committee also called for building a comprehensive and regularly updated database of jobseekers and laid-off individuals to better inform national employment policies and future strategies. Among the proposed measures was amendment or introduction of legislation to improve protection mechanisms for the national workforce. The committee discussed the possibility of allocating dedicated vacancies in government institutions and state-owned enterprises specifically for laid-off workers. In support of national workforce retention, members highlighted the urgency of accelerating Omanisation. They recommended replacing expatriate-held jobs with qualified Omanis and suggested increasing the cost of hiring expatriates in the private sector to encourage employment of citizens. Concluding the session, the committee stressed the need for a holistic and long-term approach to address layoffs, beginning with tackling root causes. This, they said, includes overcoming legal and administrative obstacles and establishing a national action plan to ensure employment stability and social justice for Omani citizens.
Muscat Daily
05-08-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
Majlis A' Shura discuss repercussions of suspension of job security benefit for laid-off workers
Muscat – The Youth and Human Resources Committee of the Shura Council held a meeting on Tuesday, chaired by Younis al Mandhari, to address the implications of suspending the job security benefit previously granted to laid-off workers. The committee expressed concern over the social and economic hardships faced by affected citizens, emphasizing the urgent need to resume disbursement of the benefit provided by the Social Protection Fund. Members highlighted that many individuals have experienced a significant deterioration in living conditions, making it essential to restore the support to ensure psychological and social stability. In their recommendations, the committee called on relevant authorities to take swift, practical steps, including empowering local governorates and decentralizing employment-related decisions. This would allow for region-specific solutions tailored to local labor market needs and redundancy challenges. Members also stressed the importance of offering employment opportunities that align with the qualifications and professional experience of laid-off workers. They proposed the launch of requalification and reintegration programs that promote a dignified and secure return to the job market. To improve long-term planning, the committee recommended the creation of a comprehensive, up-to-date database of job seekers and laid-off individuals. Such a tool would help shape more effective national employment strategies and policies. Further proposals included reviewing or amending existing legislation to enhance workforce protections, reserving job vacancies in government and state-owned entities for laid-off nationals, and accelerating Omanisation by replacing expatriate-held positions with qualified Omani personnel. Raising the cost of hiring foreign labor in the private sector was also discussed as a way to encourage local recruitment. In conclusion, the committee called for a holistic, long-term national strategy to address layoffs, focused on tackling root causes rather than short-term fixes. They emphasised the importance of legal and administrative reforms and the establishment of a national action plan to ensure employment stability and social justice for all Omani citizens.
