Council proposes stiff penalties to tackle runaway expat workers in Oman

Muscat: Oman's Majlis Al Shura (Consultative Council) has mooted "radical and decisive" steps to combat the phenomenon of runaway expatriate workers, which, it says, is having a negative impact on the labour market.

The council approved, during a meeting on Monday, a report submitted by its legal committee setting out a number of recommendations to fight the problem.

The number of expatriates running away from their Omani sponsors rose by a significant 33.97 per cent in 2007 to reach a high of 64,487 cases that year, compared to corresponding figures for the preceding two years, the council said.

The report recommends changes to the Omani Labour Law incorporating "stiff penalties" to tackle the problem. The amendments are part of a wider review of the Labour Law being undertaken by the Council to bring it into line with international charters on labour rights, Majlis Chairman Shaikh Ahmad Bin Mohammad Al Isa'ee told the council at the start of the session.

In the past, Oman has responded to the issue of runaway expatriates with a combination of measures, ranging from detentions and fines to general amnesties, followed by their deportation.

The government has legalised labour unions in an effort to fend off criticism that labour policies and practices are weighted in favour of employers.

Around 40 labour unions set up within the country's private sector have since been registered with the Ministry of Manpower.