Salary cheer for stranded workers of Oman's Al Sawadi Resort

Muscat: Of the 73 Al Sawadi workers who were stranded without pay when the resort that employed them closed, 59 have received a favourable judgment from the court, while the remaining 14 are waiting for a final court ruling on July 25. One worker, speaking to the Times of Oman, said, “59 have received a favourable judgment. They claimed they were paid only basic salaries. Soon, they will get their money.”
The workers were left without food, water and power after the resort closed on March 11, and said they had not received salaries for the past year.
Meanwhile, as the remaining 14 workers claimed additional pay, including annual leave, public holidays, overtime, working on off days, monthly allowances, and flight tickets claims, which they are eligible for, the court has directed officials to audit the settlement and has postponed the case until July 25.
“We have to deposit the money for the auditing and it has to be done before July 18. Every worker has to pay OMR100 for the auditing. If we do that, we will receive our pending salaries within 30 days from the judgment date, provided there are no further appeals by the management company,” workers said.
After the plight of stranded workers was reported in the media, Oman trade union members came forward to support the workers by providing food and legal support. A popular Facebook page in Oman, “What’s Happening Muscat Oman (WHMO),” also launched a campaign to collect food and other items for the stranded workers.
Since the beginning, WHMO members have been raising money and collecting needed personal items for the stranded workers.Further, members of the group have paid some of the workers’ debts, including school fees and loans.
Currently, WHMO members are coordinating with other concerned people to raise the money required for the audit.
At present, Oman does not have a dedicated court to deal with labour disputes, which are, instead, handled in the general courts. However, a senior Ministry of Manpower (MoM) official has confirmed that a special court dedicated to settling labour disputes in Oman will be created soon. Salem Al Saadi, advisor to the MoM, told Times of Oman that the ministry is working to establish a labour disputes court.