Oman signs labour agreement with ILO

Muscat: Oman has signed an agreement with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) over a National Programme for Work, officials announced.
The Sultanate of Oman, represented by three ministerial agencies, including the Ministry of Manpower, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the General Union of Oman, signed an agreement with the ILO in Geneva to extend a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The MoU details the implementation of the National Programme for Work, which aims to build Oman's labour market, and provide decent work.
During the 2010 to 2016 period, several programmes were implemented prior to this programme, including 32 programmes being implemented to benefit about 950 employees from various state institutions.
The National Programme for Work is to be implemented from 2017 to 2019, and the ILO will help develop it in the Sultanate. This will involve the implementation of a tripartite system in the areas of trade union organisations, collective bargaining, social dialogue, labour inspection, occupational safety and health, employment, entrepreneurship and social protection.
"Several projects have been recently implemented in order to preserve the environment and create decent jobs for all. These projects include the use of renewable energy through an initiative that contributed to the production of electricity by solar panels," said Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Bakri, minister of Manpower.
According to an official report, the Sultanate's programme to promote economic diversification is one of the pillars upon which the Sultanate depends for achieving the objectives of the Ninth Five-Year Development Plan (2016-2020). The programme has identified five promising sectors: manufacturing, fisheries, mining, tourism, transport and logistics.
Saeed bin Saleh Al Kiyumi, chairman of the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, "The ILO Director General's report on the Green Initiative of creating job opportunities for young people is consistent with the Sultanate's interest in Omani youth with regards to providing environmentally friendly jobs. There is cooperation with the ILO and other experts to implement this programme in the Sultanate."