On 9 July 2026, Oman’s Ministry of Labour issued Ministerial Decision 284/2026, replacing the recently repealed Ministerial Decision 500/2018 and overhauling the rules for labour unions, trade unions, and the General Federation for Workers. The Ministerial Decision predominately focuses on the unions themselves, including governance, elections, and registration. Across its eight chapters, however, the decision lays out a specific set of duties imposed on employers. This blog will outline exactly what Ministerial Decision 284/2026 requires of employers, and where those requirements differ to those set out under the old rules of Ministerial Decision 500/2018.
Giving Unions Room to Operate
One of the clearest obligations imposed on employers, is the duty to provide labour unions with the physical space and resources needed to operate. Under article 35, this means a properly equipped office, internet access, a phone line, and the other basics a union needs to operate. Additionally, employers shall permit access to relevant administrative and financial data affecting its members, such as, records tied to training, wages, decisions, promotions, and disciplinary action, in accordance with article 26. Though, the union must still adhere to the confidentiality of such data, and can only use it within the parameters the decision sets out.
Allowing Union Work to Take Place
The most substantial set of obligations imposed on employers concerns time. Fundamentally, it is about allowing employees to perform union work during work hours. Subject to article 66, union members must be excused from their regular duties to carry out union business. For smaller unions consisting of less than 100 members, 30 days per year suffices. Mid size unions consist of 100 to 300 members, meaning they get a total of 90 days per year. The union member selected by the administrative body for a union with more than 300 members, must be excused from work full-time. This is a meaningful switch from the old system, which calculated excusal on a weekly basis rather than an annual one. Furthermore, none of this comes at the employees expense. Excused members will keep their full wage, promotions, and periodic allowances, with their time away still counting towards their actual length of service, in accordance with article 69. Those excused full-time are also exempt from performance evaluation for these purposes, instead, their last review, or their average over the past three years if higher, is used to determine allowances and promotions. This decision introduces a new provision which requires employers to provide means of transport for members carrying out union tasks that are 150 kilometres away from the headquarters of the labour union, trade union, or the general federation, provided the establishment is notified at least 5 days before the task takes place, except in urgent cases, such as a workplace accident or a labour strike.
Limits on Employer Interference
Beyond what employers are required to do, the decision also sets restrictions on employer conduct. Under article 6, an employer is not permitted to transfer a member of the administrative body from the worksite the union has designated as its headquarters without the consent of the member. Furthermore, this extends to article 70 which prohibits an employer from performing an act which results in the disruption of union work. The non-disruption duty in article 70 reflects protections already grounded in the Labour Law, so it is not a new burden; the transfer restriction in article 6, however, does not appear in the old Ministerial Decision 500/2018 or in its 2022 amendment.
Supporting Union Democracy
The final obligation is more of a procedural one. Employers also have a role in supporting the democratic process within the union itself. Article 14 sets a duty upon employers to facilitate the election of members of the administrative body of a labour or trade union, a duty that carries over largely unchanged from the previous decision.
Conclusion
Ultimately, these obligations convey that Ministerial Decision 284/2026 asks relatively little of employers in financial terms. The real cost is in time, access, non-interference, and in understanding exactly what the decision now expects of them, with article 68’s transport requirement arising as the one genuinely new burden. It’s also worth noting that the decision’s changes extend beyond these specific duties. Registration is now considerably faster, and several approval powers have shifted from the Ministry to the General Federation, pointing to a union landscape that moves quicker and answers less directly to the state than before. For employers, the takeaway is straightforward. This decision is about making space, allowing time, and staying out of the way, not a financial one. For the full text of Ministerial Decision 284/2026, including provisions not covered in this post, we highly recommend reading it in full via the link below:
