«Affairs»: Cooperatives employees’ contracts match data registered with «Labour Force»
Faisal Matar: The Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor has stressed the necessity for cooperative societies to ensure that employment and labor contracts concluded with their employees match the contracts and data officially submitted to the Public Authority for Manpower, including salaries, job titles, benefits, and all other terms and conditions. According to the circular issued by the Ministry, represented by its Director General of Cooperatives Affairs, Adari Al-Mutairi, to the boards of directors of all cooperatives, “employment and labor contracts concluded with their staff must be identical and consistent in terms of salary, job title, benefits, and all other terms and conditions with the contracts and data officially submitted by the Ministry to the Public Authority for Manpower.”
The circular further emphasized the necessity “of not carrying out any amendments, agreements, or arrangements that contradict what is documented in the contracts officially submitted to the relevant government authorities, particularly regarding basic salary, allowances, financial benefits, working hours, nature of work, and all other contractual rights and obligations.” The Ministry affirmed the need to review existing contracts and verify the accuracy and consistency of all data and conditions contained therein with the official documents and data registered with the “Manpower Authority,” and to take the necessary corrective measures for any discrepancies or inconsistencies in accordance with the law.
It stressed that any financial obligations or workers’ rights arising from employment contracts must be based on valid, approved contracts that comply with the regulations, laws, and decisions governing labor. The relevant authorities in each cooperative are held responsible for adhering to the relevant systems, decisions, and instructions, and for periodically reviewing employees’ contracts to ensure their continued compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
The Ministry noted that this measure aims to avoid the financial and legal repercussions stemming from any discrepancies or conflicts between the actual contracts concluded with employees and those officially submitted to the Authority, which could give rise to claims, financial obligations, labor disputes, or supervisory observations, thereby safeguarding the rights of all parties and ensuring the legal integrity of cooperative societies.
The Ministry appealed to the Union of Cooperatives to issue the circular to all cooperatives, emphasizing the necessity of compliance with its provisions and taking the necessary internal measures to ensure implementation and follow-up, reiterating that this is aimed at ensuring the soundness of administrative, financial, and legal procedures within cooperatives, and in adherence to the provisions of laws, regulations, ministerial decisions, and systems in force in the country.
