Sunday 15 / December / 2024
Muscat: The Shura Council today held its 3rd regular session of the 10th Term’s 2nd annual convening, during which it discussed the topic of "temporary employment initiatives" with Dr. Mahad Said Ba'owain, Minister of Labour.
Khalid Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Shura Council, said in a speech that “visions and proposals presented about temporary employment initiatives are in line with the national goals” and that these visions seek to unify the efforts made to achieve the public interest.
For his part, the Minister of Labour said in a statement that the session saw in-depth discussions about vital aspects that pertain to the national development and to the Omani citizens’ aspirations.
The minister pointed out that the session focused on three main topics: The “Employment Contracts Initiative”, the “One Million Hours Initiative” and the “Sahim Programme”.
Dr. Mahad pointed out that the initiatives “constitute strategic programmes to enhance the efficiency of the national workforce, contribute to the empowerment of Omani youth and enhance their chances to enter the labour market with greater competitiveness”.
He added that the meeting offered an opportunity to underline shared visions and deep understanding about the requirements of the labour sector.
The minister explained that the session highlighted the participants’ awareness about the national priorities and their keenness to formulate approaches that contribute to sustainable growth, economic development and social stability.
The session was held in accordance with Article 68 of the Council of Oman Law, and Article 56 of the Shura Council Law, which stipulates that the Shura Council may exercise its jurisdiction to follow up public issues and use its mandates to host officials for elaboration on matters of public interest.
As part of discussions on the “Temporary Employment Initiatives”, the session dealt with the outcome of implementation of all types of temporary employment contracts (in the government sector) and the Ministry’s plans to develop them.
The session also discussed the outcome of implementation of employment contracts in the private sector, the challenges posed to the Ministry, the future of existing and temporary employment contracts and the Labour Ministry’s plan to deal with them within the stipulations of the current Labour Law.
The session studied the ministry’s vision about the legal and administrative frameworks of temporary employment contracts in view of the fluctuating labour market economics.
The session also discussed the requirements of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) and the Ministry’s follow-up of the positive and negative impact of implementation of temporary employment initiatives, notably the impacts on the work environment and on the national workforce (in the public and private sectors).
