New gratuity rules fair and clear, say expat workers

MUSCAT: Rulings over gratuity payments to expatriates working in Oman’s public sector have been welcomed by them, owing to the fairness and clarity these changes provide.

The changes apply to expatriates who have served less than 10 years in government offices, and became official under Ministerial Decision No. 35/2021, which makes modifications to the country’s Civil Service Law.

The decision was passed by Dr Mahad bin Said bin Ali Ba’owain, the country’s Minister of Labour.

“When expat workers in the public sector do leave service, the new rules will make sure they are adequately compensated,” said Sudip Kumar, an Indian expatriate in the country. “I think the new changes make the compensation policy very fair to expatriates working in the government sector.”

“When an expat comes to work in a foreign country, irrespective of where they work, they bring with them certain skills that are vital, and will help develop local conditions along with the native workforce,” he added. “It is good to see them receive fair compensation.”

This was an opinion shared by Mark Wilson, another foreign worker in the country, who called it good thinking on the part of the government.

“Whenever we join any organisation, whether in the private or public sector, there are certain aspirations with which we come to work every day,” he said. “One of the most important among them is that employees are properly taken care of, and that is what is being done here.”

Praising the fairness and openness of the gratuity scheme under the updated Civil Service Law, Cyril Alfonso, a Filipino national, said,

“With these new rules, there can be no ambiguity over how much compensation a person is due on leaving a government company, or the reasons behind which he has been provided a certain amount.

“The changes to the Civil Service Law make gratuity payment policies absolutely clear,” he added. “Clear workplace practices make working in the office easier.”

The updated regulations state that expatriates in the public sector are paid one month’s gratuity for every year served in that organisation. Up to 10 months’ salary can be paid as gratuity for workers from grades one to six, and up to 12 months for those employed between grades seven and 14.

The total value of compensation, however, cannot exceed OMR 12,000. Employees, who have been dismissed as punishment for actions they have committed, or owing to criminal activity, are not eligible for gratuity. Gratuity under this scheme will also be only provided to those who have worked for more than five years, unless they have been dismissed due to ill health, or have unfortunately died while still under employment to the company in question.

As of January 2021, there were 41,866 expatriate workers employed in the country’s government sector, a slight drop compared to December 2020, when there were 42,240 employees, according to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI).

The majority of expatriate workers in the country have jobs in the private sector. Expat employment numbers rose slightly from 1,148,207 at the end of December last year, to 1,148,871 in January 2021. Some 249,171 expatriates are employed by families, around 3,500 fewer than there were last December.

The Sultanate joined hands with world countries in celebrating International Women’s Day on

March 8.

Oman’s participation in the event stems from the attention accorded to women in the Sultanate and their engagement in all spheres of national action, including development plans and programmes.

The Sultanate lays emphasis on supporting and empowering women across all sectors and highlighting their constructive roles in economic, scientific, social, educational, health and technical fields—to name a few, besides their household responsibilities of upbringing the offspring and enhancing family cohesion and social harmony.

This year, the United Nations (UN) marks the occasion under the theme of “Women in leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World.”

The event celebrates the tremendous efforts exerted by women and girls around the world in forming a future where the world enjoys equality at a greater scale. It underscores women’s action in addressing the pandemic and alleviating its impacts. The event also focuses on loopholes yet to be tackled in the global social texture.

The Royal attention accorded to women since the dawn of Oman’s blessed renaissance and through the Renewed Renaissance era inducted by His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik, who pledged his noble Royal support to women by reinforcing their participation in the march of national development and by empowering them in all fields.

In this context, Sayyida Maani Al-Busaidi, Director-General of Family Growth Department at the Ministry of Social Development, said “The Sultanate extended full support to woman as a human entity by fostering her partnership with man in the nation building process.”

Sayyida Maani pointed out that His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik stressed this point in a Royal speech in which he said that

“Citizens’ partnership in moulding their country’s present and future is considered a basic pillar of national action. We are keen on enabling women to enjoy their rights stipulated by law, so that she could work side by side with man in all fields as she serves her country and her society. We also pledge our constant backing to these national fundamental principles that can neither be evaded, nor compromised.”

In a statement to Oman News Agency (ONA), Sayyida Maani pointed out that the Sultanate presses ahead with efforts to promote women’s status in a manner that guarantees their effective participation in social, economic and political development, as well as public life. “In Oman, woman participates alongside man in representing her country at international events. She proved capable of this mission right from the start of the Sultanate’s modern renaissance. Oman was among pioneering countries in terms of women’s empowerment in the regional and international arenas,” said Sayyida Maani.

The axis of “woman” in Oman Vision 2040 laid emphasis on furnishing a suitable environment to ease their participation in all aspects of life — economic, social, political and civic aspects—in a manner that upgrades their capability and empower them to engage in the Sultanate’s comprehensive, sustainable social development efforts.

The designation of 17 October every year as Omani Woman’s Day, under a Royal order issued in 2009, was the key outcome of a symposium held at Saih Al Makarim in Sohar. The annual day reflects conviction in the vital role of women in society. It consolidates the principle of public participation, upheld by the Omani renaissance march since its inception. Omani Woman’s Day also felicitates women’s brilliant contribution which brought about a major shift in national development, thanks to the statutes that safeguarded woman’s rights at social, economic and political levels.

DAMASCUS: Syrian President Bashar Assad and his wife Asma tested positive for coronavirus on Monday, his office said on Monday.

Syria has so far officially recorded 15,900 coronavirus cases and 1,063 deaths, but the actual figure is estimated to be much higher.

According to the statement, Assad and his wife took a PCR test after experiencing “mild symptoms”. They tested positive, but are in “good health and a stable condition”. They would continue to work during a “home quarantine period lasting two or three weeks.”

Previous health issues

In August of last year, Assad, 55, who is a trained ophthalmologist, paused during an address to parliament due to a slight drop in blood pressure, before gathering his composure and resuming his speech a few minutes later.

In 2018, Asma underwent treatment for breast cancer, which the presidency said had been detected early. A year later, she said she had made a full recovery.

Conflict in Syria

Syria marks 10 years of internal conflict next week.

The Middle Eastern country has been ravaged since peaceful pro-democracy protests in March 2011 evolved into a full-blown war, drawing foreign fighters and powers.

Taha bin Sulaiman AlKishry, Secretary General of the Oman Olympic Committee (OOC), met with Jaber bin Muhammad Al-Shabibi, Vice-Chairman of Oman Bowling Committee, yesterday. Al-Kishry congratulated the Vice-Chairman of Oman Bowling Committee on obtaining a master’s degree in Olympic Studies (Olympic Education - Olympic Events Organising and Management) from the Greek Peloponnese University. The OOC succeeded to get grants supported by the International Olympic Solidarity (IOS), as part of the keenness of the Board of Directors to pay attention to human resources in institutions working in the field of sports and to provide training opportunities to sports sectors in accordance with the best advanced management practices.

This programme is considered as one of the many opportunities provided by the International Olympic Solidarity (IOS) to the National Olympic Committees, as OOC was able to obtain a number of academic and technical programmes for members of sports Federations and Committees in the past, which would provide sports institutions in the Sultanate with qualified sports cadres, knowledge and experience to sports.