Nine GCC teams to deal with labor issues

Nine technical teams set up by the GCC Council of Labor and Social Affairs Ministers are working on preparing periodic reports about the status of the GCC labor market in order to establish a unified position in international organizations, set up an ideal work plan, and exchange experiences.

According to a Gulf official, the executive office for the GCC Council of Labor and Social Affairs Ministers is in direct contact with officials at the ministries of labor and social affairs in respective countries in order to carry out joint efforts, as well as follow up on several key issues.
Aqeel Al-Jassim, general director of the executive office, said a number of field teams were set up and these teams continue to hold meetings regularly throughout the year.

These teams are concerned with occupational standards, professional exams, Gulf qualification systems, small and medium enterprises, recruitment polices, domestic workers, unemployment insurance and professional classification.

Reports put forward by these teams will be thoroughly discussed to reach unified policies, said Al-Jassim.
He said the office, in coordination with the UAE Ministry of Labor, organized a workshop about the transfer of workers, in addition to a number of other technical and coordination meetings for ministers of labor on the sidelines of the Arab and International Labor Conferences.
The executive office is also coordinating with Qatar to prepare for the 32nd Forum for the GCC Ministers of Labor and Social Affairs in Doha next October.

At the international level, Al-Jassim said the GCC Council of Ministers will sign a new agreement for workers for the year 2016-2017 with the International Labor Organization’s regional office in Beirut.