Despite effective labour laws in the Sultanate, workers in cafeterias, laundries, barbershops, supermarkets, construction sites, garages and households regularly work between 15 to 18 hours a day and without being compensated for the extra hours of labour.
Pharmacists who work in private sector are also not getting weekly off. Even a day off from work is a distant dream! Ali Mohamed is an Indian working in a cafeteria in Ruwi. Ever since he joined the shop 12 years back, he has been working for not less than 14 hours a day.
“My working time is from the opening of the shop early in the morning till close late in the night,” Ali says.
When asked about payment for the extra hours he works for and weekly offs, he just simply blinked.
Mahboob is from Pakistan and is working in a barbershop.
“Except for the Friday prayer, I never get an extra hour to take rest. I work for almost 15 hours a day”, he says. “Visiting a friend or a relative is never possible”.
Ali and Mahboob are among thousands of workers who are low paid and exploited by unscrupulous employers of small-time businesses. Adding to their woes is non-availability of medical claims.
Jibin Mathew is a pharmacist, who says he doesn’t get time to spend with his children. “What I get is a half-day off on Friday. All other days the pharmacy is working without a substitute,” Jibin says, adding, “but I have descent salary”.
Often, workers in the lower strata are the victims of mistreatment. They even do not know about their rights.
“It is gross violation of the labour laws in the Sultanate,” said a social worker. It is reported that some of the workers are subjected to threats by their employers, have their passports and residency permits confiscated and are denied permission to return home”, he said. In several incidents they are done without the knowledge of the sponsors.
In Oman, many changes were introduced in the new labour laws for the welfare of workers. Two weekly offs have been made mandatory for workers in all private firms. The holidays can be on any day mutually decided by the firms and workers. The maximum number of work hours a day has been fixed at nine hours a day. An employee can be asked to work extra hours, provided the total does not exceed 12 hours a day.
The employer should give the employee the basic salary for the hour plus 25 per cent for the extra hours during day shifts and 50 per cent for the extra hours during night shifts.
Additionally, the new law stipulates that it is not anymore permissible to waive any leave, meaning that forwarding and carrying over leave is likely to be held null and void, with the effect that the employer has to compensate the employee for any loss or not taken leave during employment or upon termination of employment.
“Migrant workers, when they begin their jobs, are usually burdened by the debt they have accumulated to get their visas. They also have to send money home to take care of the families,” said the social worker.
Doctors say that people who work more than 10 hours a day are about 60 per cent more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than people who clock just seven hours a day.
“Balance between work and leisure time is important,” says Dr Marianna Virtanen, an epidemiologist. “If you work long hours, the fact is that you may be exposed to higher stress levels and you do not have enough time to take care of your health.”
Source: OmanObserver