KUWAIT: The number of Kuwaitis applying for job postings listed last week at cooperative societies did not meet expectations, sources told Kuwait Times. The manpower authority posted last week job openings for Kuwaitis wishing to work in leadership positions at five co-ops: Nuzha, Qurtuba, Faihaa, Jabriya, and Qadisiya. The jobs come as part of an effort to Kuwaitize cooperative societies in the country led by the social affairs ministry and in implementation of the decisions of the Higher Committee for Demographics. However, the number of applicants was not as high as the ministry had hoped, sources said.

“The relatively low turnout could be an obstacle in the face of Kuwaitizing jobs in the sector, which represents the largest retail market in Kuwait, and is considered to have a large reserve of jobs that attract expatriates,” they said. Sources attributed the “average” numbers to several reasons, including the summer season and people waiting for other opportunities given that the deadline to apply for a co-op job is still far ahead. Some might not want to work at coops because they believe it is not secure and have fears they may face difficulties each time the co-op’s board of directors goes through changes, sources added.

They said the social affairs ministry understands those fears and introduced rules that safeguard rights the job security. The salaries of the leadership and supervisory positions will be as follows: KD 2000 for the general director, KD 1500 for his deputy, and KD 1000 for the head of the department, in addition to labor and family support usually provided to Kuwaitis by the manpower authority. A committee was formed to vet through the applications and ensure a fair hiring process, which includes representatives from the Ministry of Social Affairs, the co-op union, and the board of directors of the co-op where the position is open.