VZCZCXRO0747
RR RUEHDE RUEHDIR
DE RUEHMS #0106/01 0371257
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZDK SLUG
R 061257Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY MUSCAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9241
INFO RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0149

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