Ministry of Social Affairs to Cooperatives: Fill vacancies in operational staff in associations... immediately
Faisal Matar – The Ministry of Social Affairs has urged cooperative societies to fill any vacancies or staffing shortages, particularly in operational roles, to ensure the continuity of work and prevent any impact on the level of services provided to members and visitors of the cooperatives. According to directives issued by Minister Dr. Amthal Al-Huwailim to the cooperatives, the positions requiring immediate filling include laborers, shelf workers, handlers, cleaners, sales staff, cashiers, and other operational roles needed by the cooperative. The minister emphasized the necessity of taking immediate action whenever any vacancies arise.
The ministry authorized cooperatives to contract with specialized and licensed companies to provide the necessary workforce to meet actual needs, in accordance with approved legal and administrative procedures, and after obtaining approvals from the ministry and relevant authorities. It stressed the importance of verifying that contracted companies meet all required conditions, licenses, and approvals, and comply with laws, ministerial decisions, and regulatory bylaws. The ministry also called on cooperatives to continuously monitor workforce levels and take proactive measures when shortages are anticipated, thereby maintaining the operational efficiency of various departments and facilities and ensuring the quality of services provided.
On the supply companies front, the ministry also stressed the need for the Union of Consumer Cooperative Societies to compel cooperatives to deal with and procure from companies and suppliers approved by the Union, or from companies holding valid commercial agency licenses for the products and goods supplied to the cooperative societies. The ministry requested the Union to issue a circular to all cooperative societies prohibiting them from dealing with or procuring from any company or supplier not listed in the issued circulars, or those lacking a valid commercial agency license for the supplied products, in order to regulate supply operations and ensure dealings with authorized entities. It affirmed that the board of directors of each cooperative society bears full responsibility for any violations or non-compliance with the Union’s circulars in this regard, emphasizing the necessity of verifying the authorization of companies and suppliers before conducting any supply or purchasing operations, and strictly adhering to the lists and circulars issued by the Union.
