Oman: Over 40 Expats Arrested for Violating Labour Laws
Inspection campaigns resulted in the arrest of more than 40 violating expatriate workers across the Sultanate of Oman, confirmed the Ministry of Labour. The Ministry of Labour, represented by the General Directorate of Labour Welfare, carried out an inspection campaign in the Wilayat of Muttrah and arrested 18 workers for violating provisions of the Labour Law. Legal measures are being taken against them.
The Ministry, represented by the Labour Department in Al Buraimi Governorate, also carried out a field visit to a number of non-Omani manpower recruitment offices in the governorate with the aim of following up its work mechanism and ensuring its implementation of the provisions of the Labour Law and the decisions and regulations governing it.
On Saturday and Friday, the Ministry, represented by the General Directorate of Labour Welfare, carried out an inspection campaign to combat illegal activities by the non-Omani workforce in the Wilayat of Al Amerat and Wilayat of Qurayyat, and 24 workers were arrested in violation of the provisions of the Labour Law. Legal measures are being taken against them.
The Ministry, represented by the General Directorate of Labour Welfare (Inspection Department), has also referred 7 companies to the public prosecution for violating Article (51) of the Labor Law related to failure to pay wages on the legally specified date.
Article (51) states the following:
Wages shall be paid on one of the working days, subject to the following provisions:
– Workers employed with a monthly wage are paid their wages at least once a month.
– If the wage is piece-rate and the work requires a period of more than two weeks, the worker must receive every week’s payment on account commensurate with the work he has completed. The remainder of the wage shall be paid to him in total during the week following the completion of the work assigned to him.
– In other than the aforementioned cases, workers are paid their wages once every week, provided that they may be paid once every two weeks or every month if they agree in writing to that, and in all cases the wage must be paid within (7) seven days from the end of the period for which it is due. It is permissible, by a decision of the Minister, to determine the date of payment of the wages of workers in the establishments subject to the provisions of this law before the date set for them on the occasion of national and official holidays.
