“In 2018, the trade unions of the FTURK defended the rights of more than 10,000 Kazakhstani workers” – Head of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bakhytzhan Abdіrayim

Yesterday, during the work of the Workers ‘Forum “Decent Labor – the Basis of the Stability of the State”, FTURK, representatives of state bodies, the Nur Otan party and employees of enterprises reviewed a number of topical issues related to the protection of workers’ rights and labor safety. The event took place within the framework of the Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation in order to organize joint party and public control to protect the labor and socio-economic rights and interests of Kazakhstan’s people, ensure employment of the population, protect the internal labor market, which was signed at the beginning of the year between the FTURK and Nur Otan “.

“In his Address to the people of Kazakhstan, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan voiced all the issues that concern trade unions, ranging from pay to creating new jobs. I will dwell on those points that relate to each of us. This is, first of all, the increase in the minimum wage by 1.5 times (from 28 to 42 thousand tenge), which directly affects 1 million 300 thousand workers of enterprises of various forms of ownership, including 275 thousand workers of budgetary organizations, whose salaries will grow an average of 35%, ”noted the head of the FTURK B. Abdіrayim.

According to him, the new minimum wage will be a catalyst for the growth of wages across the economy and significantly enhance the social security of all workers.

“In these conditions, the priority task for trade union committees of all levels is to promote specific indicators that contribute to the strengthening of work to increase wages. This is the timely introduction of relevant amendments and additions to collective agreements, regional and sectoral agreements providing for an increase in wages for low-wage categories of workers; consideration of the work of sectoral and regional commissions to increase wages and ensure decent working conditions at meetings of the Republican Tripartite Commission, ”  said the head of the FTURK.

He said that at present, representatives of the Federation of Trade Unions have joined the national and regional headquarters to monitor the increase in wages for low-wage categories of workers.

“From the beginning of the current year, in the whole country, the authorized body revealed wage arrears at 577 enterprises in the amount of 1.5 billion tenge. For these violations, employers were issued 456 prescriptions and 344 fines were imposed in the amount of 74 million tenge. As a result of measures taken with the participation of trade unions, over 1 billion tenge of wages were paid out, thereby protecting the rights of more than 10 thousand workers, ” said the head of the FTURK.

He noted that this issue should be under the constant control of trade unions.