Govt working to improve conditions for over 16,000 expats

Muscat: Oman's government is working on improving working conditions for over 16,000 expat workers in Northern Sharqiyah.

The Directorate General of Manpower in Northern Sharqiyah is working to rectify the conditions of more than 16,000 expat workers employed by 112 businesses with 3,441 commercial records.

The ministry has intensified its inspections of private establishments to ensure that companies comply with labour law regulations and standards.

In a statement, the Manpower Ministry said: "The ministry recently recalled 67 employers who have 1,479 commercial records, including 8,228 expat workers in order to correct the conditions of workers in their facilities within the framework of labour market regulation.

"In addition, 22 employees who registered a total of 1,100 commercial recorded with 2,599 expat workers were also recalled by the ministry to discuss the mechanisms of correcting their employees in the registered records."

The Ministry added that: "23 businessmen with 5,175 expat workers did not attend the scheduled meeting as such legal proceedings will be taken against them."

The Ministry stresses that all employers, including ones with multiple registered businesses, must comply with procedures laid down by the labor law or else the ministry will not hesitate to take legal action against those institutions for violating its directives and will release its workforce for carrying out illegal acts.

The ministry also appealed to all institutions and individuals not to hire illegal expat workers.