No expats in leading positions in co-op sector
‘Food items provided as per need’
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 2: Following the discovery of smuggling of food items from the supply centers and the exchange of accusations regarding the involvement of these branches with some expatriate workers in this matter, sources affirmed that no supervisory positions have been assigned to expatriate workers, as their work is limited to handling, and none of them are in an administrative position, adding that the official in charge must be present during the work period, which is divided into shifts, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Regarding the distribution of responsibility in the supply centers, the sources from the Ministry of Social Affairs explained that the ministry supervises appointments only according to requirements. It follows up with the cooperative societies, and ensures the materials and prices are subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has also prevented non-Kuwaiti workers from taking up supervisory positions in cooperative societies, and will hire only citizens based on certain conditions.
These conditions include the applicant must be a university graduate with at least five years of experience. Another set of jobs in cooperative societies is available that do not require the applicants to have experience but that they should hold at least a secondary or intermediate certificate.
The sources said, “The recent period has witnessed the announcement of various vacancies in cooperative societies, such as workers responsible for the catering center. The applicant must have a university degree and five years of experience in administrative affairs, or the applicant must have more than 20 years of experience in cooperative and administrative work”. They said the appointment of citizens in supervisory positions in cooperative societies continues as per the plan launched by the Ministry of Social Affairs more than two years ago in 2019.
The sources revealed that about 800 administrative jobs were fixed, and more than 50 percent of workers in the cooperative societies and catering centers were replaced by Kuwaitis.
They explained that the Kuwaitization Committee, since the beginning of 2020, drew up a plan to “Kuwaitize” 500 other supervisory jobs, such that the total will be 1,300 jobs in about two years for Kuwaitis. Actually the percentage was achieved by more than 53 percent in 70 cooperative societies. This is in addition to the step taken to stop the transfer of expatriate workers to the cooperative sector and open the door widely for Kuwaitis to apply.
The head of the Syndicate of Cooperative Societies Workers Jamal Al-Fadhli called for an increase in the Ministry of Social Affairs’ efforts to train workers in the supply branches.
He explained that, “The conditions set by the ministry for appointing Kuwaitis in supervisory positions in the catering centers hinder their employment, as someone with five to ten years of experience alongside a university degree or diploma cannot be easily found to work in simple jobs, such as an official or catering supervisor, department head or manager”.
Al-Fadhli said he believed the supervisory positions should be restricted to the positions of the Director General or his deputies, provided that the other positions were of lesser conditions, such as experience of one or two years.