Thursday 28 / November / 2024
Muscat: Public sector employees in Oman will become more competitive, improve their capabilities and become encouraged to develop skills to better do their jobs, say Omanis, in the wake of the Ministry of Labour’s decision to introduce fixed-term contracts for government workers.
The decision to replace open-ended, permanent job postings with fixed-term contracts comes in line with Royal Decree No. 89/2020, which established the Ministry of Labour and determined its areas of competency.
Furthermore, employees may be terminated after being given sufficient notice, and can also be denied their annual bonuses if they are found to be performing poorly at work.
Article One of the decision stated: “Omanis will occupy permanent positions in units of the state’s administrative apparatus and other public legal offices through contracts, in accordance with the attached contract form.”
In this context, Ahmed bin Said bin Abdullah Al Sharqi, the head of the Economic and Financial Committee at the Majlis Al Shura, and representative for Wilayat Liwa, added that this would also raise the quality of service provided to customers who deal with government offices.
“Among the positives are that it will institute competition between employees in government bodies and it will also increase the spirit of competitiveness among them,” he said. “Whether this happens in a single department or a government entity as a whole, this will also positively impact the level of services across vital sectors in Oman.
“This in turn will positively impact the economy, speed up development and improve public income,” he added. “Furthermore, employees will be encouraged to develop their skills and capabilities, so that they can provide the best to their customers.”
Article Four of the ministerial decision states that either employer or employee can terminate their work contract, after providing a notice of three months. Bonuses will be withheld from those workers whose job assessments have been marked ‘poor’.
In this context, Al Sharqi said, “Employees, however, might not be able to fulfil their personal and financial obligations if their contracts are unexpectedly terminated. It is vital that there is a provision for an employee to submit their grievances regarding termination. If he does not know why he has been dismissed, he could face many challenges.”
Adding to this, Naif Al Sinani, a teacher at a school in North Al Batinah, said the decision to introduce fixed-term contracts is in the best interests of the country.
“We need this measure to improve and develop the quality of service provided by government institutions,” he said. “This will help add discipline, commitment and focus among employees. The competition generated between them will translate into a desire to prove their worth, improve their output at work and increase their productivity.
“This decision is the right one for the nation, because it will increase efficiency, raise output and aid in the development of all the necessary sectors,” added Al Sinani. “This in turn will positively affect the GDP and national economy.”
Students in the country who will one day occupy posts in the country’s government and private sectors also welcomed the new decision. Among them was Moath Al Saeedi, a student at the College of Law and Political Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University.
“This decision carries many positives, both in the short and long-term,” he said. “This will encourage employees to complete their tasks in a proper manner, not just on time, but well before time. Customers will also be encouraged by the positive impact this decision will have because their transactions will be cleared faster.
“It will also deter those employees who skip work or purposely leave work early, while leaving it to their colleagues to cover for them in their absence,” said Al Saeedi. “However, this might affect an employee’s sense of job security, because that serves as a foundation for many other obligations he might have, such as buying a car, getting married or owning a house.”
