MINISTER OF MANPOWER HIGHLIGHTS ANTI-TIP EFFORTS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MUSCAT 000106

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, G/TIP, DRL AND NEA/MEPI
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR JAMES RUDE; C. PONTICELLI

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL KCRM KWMN SMIG ELAB KMPI MU
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF MANPOWER HIGHLIGHTS ANTI-TIP EFFORTS

REF: A. 07 MUSCAT 193


B. MUSCAT 43

C. 07 MUSCAT 298

D. 07 MUSCAT 1116

MUSCAT 00000106 001.2 OF 002



1. (SBU) Summary: During a February 4 meeting with the
Ambassador, Minister of Manpower Juma bin Ali Al Juma
detailed his Ministry's anti-trafficking in persons (TIP)
measures, including: publishing a brochure for newly-arrived
foreign workers to educate them about their rights; issuing
new occupational health and safety regulations specifying
minimum acceptable conditions in company-owned "labor camps;"
building the capacity of Ministry of Manpower (MOM) labor
inspectors to enforce labor laws and regulations; increasing
penalties for abusive labor practices; and encouraging labor
exporting countries to improve their regulation of
recruitment agencies. Juma is open to USG support on TIP and
would welcome an invitation to visit the United States to
discuss trafficking and other workforce issues. End Summary.

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Raising Workers' Awareness of their Rights
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2. (SBU) Minister of Manpower Juma used a February 4 meeting
with the Ambassador to highlight a number of concrete steps
his Ministry is taking to prevent labor exploitation and
combat TIP. Juma provided the Ambassador with copies of a
brochure titled "Guidelines for Foreign Manpower in the
Sultanate of Oman," which the MOM developed in cooperation
with embassies of the primary labor exporting countries to
Oman (ref A). The brochure, which the Ministry published in
nine different languages including Urdu, Hindy, and
Malayalam, highlights certain rights and services to which
all workers are legally entitled, including: health and
personal injury insurance; adequate compensation for overtime
work; and the right to strike in accordance with Omani law.
The brochure lists the MOM's labor abuse hotline number and
instructs workers to contact the MOM if they have a complaint
about their sponsor or working conditions; it also details
some of the penalties for violating Oman's labor laws. Juma
said that the MOM and Royal Oman Police (ROP) Immigration
soon will begin distributing the brochure to all
newly-arrived workers at airports and other points of entry.

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Promoting and Protecting "Decent Work"
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3. (SBU) Juma continued that the MOM is working closely with
the International Labor Organization (ILO) on a comprehensive
initiative to protect workers and improve working conditions.
Under this initiative, the MOM partnered with business
groups and the General Federation of Oman's Laborers to
create new occupational health and safety regulations that
are in line with ILO standards. The regulations include
industry-tailored specifications covering, for instance, the
number of toilet facilities, windows and air conditioning
units required in company-owned and operated worker
accommodations locally known as "labor camps." The Ministry
of Legal Affairs currently is reviewing the regulations after
which the MOM will issue them in both English and Arabic,
finally replacing Oman's outdated regulations that the
Ministry last issued in 1982. Juma explained that with these
regulations, workers, companies and labor inspectors should
have a common understanding of what constitutes acceptable
working conditions.


4. (SBU) As part of another MOM program, the ILO trained
approximately 100 MOM labor inspectors in June 2007 in the
requirements of core ILO conventions; how to gather evidence
and prepare reports; and, in a session by Roger Plant,
Director of the ILO's Special Action Program to Combat Forced
Labor, how to recognize the signs of trafficking. The MOM
subsequently published a handbook for labor inspectors to use
on the job, and sent ten of the inspectors to Singapore for
further training. The MOM now has enrolled all of its
inspectors in a six-month English language course, Juma said,
so that they can better communicate with foreign workers.
Juma further reported that the Ministry plans to launch a
public awareness campaign via television and radio in March
2008 to promote the rights and safety of Oman's foreign and
domestic workforce.

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Improving Legal Protections
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MUSCAT 00000106 002.2 OF 002




5. (SBU) Juma also stated that his Ministry is taking legal
steps to combat labor exploitation. The Ministry is
preparing amendments to Oman's 2003 Labor Law to increase
financial penalties against employers and recruitment
agencies who illegally charge workers for employment services
and maintain unsafe or substandard workplace conditions. In
order to prevent employers from hiring illegal workers, who
often are most vulnerable to abuse because of their illegal
status, the Ministry plans to increase the fines for
employers from 100 Omani Riyal (OR) to 1,000 OR -- roughly
USD 2,600 -- per foreign worker hired without an MOM-issued
permit. Finally, Juma said that he and his staff have been
involved in drafting Oman's anti-TIP legislation, which he
indicated will include stiff penalties for trafficking
crimes. He confirmed reports that the law currently is with
the Council of Ministers and should be passed "very soon"
(ref B).

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Cooperation with Labor Exporting Countries
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6. (SBU) Juma reiterated that labor exporting countries need
to increase their regulation of recruitment agencies if there
is to be real progress in combating TIP. No matter what Oman
does, he said, "all of it will be brought down" if sending
countries do not take their own measures to protect workers
before they depart for Oman or other Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) countries. Juma said that during the January 21-23
GCC-Asia Labor Forum in Abu Dhabi, he asked Asian
representatives to restrict the number of officially-licensed
recruitment agencies, which would make it easier for
exporting countries to investigate and punish instances of
abuse and for agencies in Oman to identify legitimate
partners. He stated that the Philippine government seems to
have done the most to crack down on abusive recruitment
practices. However, the MOM continues to have trouble with
agencies in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka that
force many workers into debt by charging large sums of money
for recruitment services (ref C). The Ambassador suggested
that the USG may be able to encourage these governments to
increase their oversight of recruitment agency activities
(ref D).

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Open to US Support
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7. (SBU) After outlining his Ministry's efforts to increase
protections for foreign and domestic workers, Juma invited
the Ambassador to indicate ways that the MOM could improve
its anti-TIP efforts. He further asked the Ambassador to
share specific information about TIP abuses in Oman so that
the Ministry could focus resources to address them. The
Ambassador responded that we would query Washington about
training opportunities that meet Oman's needs, especially
regarding screening vulnerable populations for trafficking
victims. The Ambassador also repeated a suggestion that he
first made in March 2007 that Juma visit the U.S. at the head
of an Omani delegation to discuss labor and trafficking
issues (ref C). Juma expressed strong interest in making the
trip, and thanked the Ambassador for the USG's ongoing
support, including the Middle East Partnership Initiative
(MEPI)-funded ILO program, of his labor reform efforts.

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Comment
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8. (SBU) Juma is proving to be an important partner in our
efforts to promote labor reform and combat TIP in Oman.
Under Juma's leadership, the MOM has enacted practical
measures to improve working conditions and prevent the
circumstances under which TIP can occur. Although he gave
the Ambassador no indication that the Council of Ministers
had tapped him to serve as the Chairman of Oman's National
Committee for Combating Human Trafficking, contacts at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicate that he may be a leading
candidate (ref B). Post will continue to identify ways to
support Juma and the MOM, and we encourage the Department to
facilitate an official visit for Juma to the US. Post will
send its request and programming ideas septel.
GRAPPO