Central Asian trade unions participated in the online webinar on May 5, 2020, “COVID-19-destroying life, economy and society: challenges and prospects for trade Union action”, organized by the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities (ACTRAV).
Representatives of trade unions from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan discussed prospects, challenges and new solutions in trade union activities on the webinar’s dialogue platform that will help overcome the crisis and alleviate its consequences.
Participants of the online meeting expressed concern about the destabilization of the economy of many countries and possible risks to the labor market.
The speakers of the webinar-Sergeyus Glovatskas, head of the desk for Europe and Central Asia at ACTRAV, Gocha Alexandria, workers ‘ activities specialist, and Mikhail Pushkin, senior employment specialist at the ILO Bureau for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, shared their views on the risks and prospects of overcoming the consequences of the pandemic in the world of work.
International experts noted the importance of sharing international experience in solving social and labor issues and the vision of the tasks facing trade unions.
On behalf of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the online meeting was attended by acting Chairman Dauletalin Satybaldy, Deputy Chairman Tinikeev Mukhtar, Chairman of the Committee of socio-economic relations and social partnership Zhumageldieva Gulnara, Chairman of the Mining and metallurgical trade Union “Kazprofmetall”(«Казпрофметалл») Nuralin Asylbek, Chairman of the NGO “the national trade Union of workers of small and medium business “YNTYMAQ” Zhanabekov Kairat, and Chairman of the “Trade Union Center of the Pavlodar region” Aitzhanova Dinara.
Acting Chairman of the FTURK Dauletalin Satybaldy spoke about the measures taken by the Republic of Kazakhstan in the fight against coronavirus.
The head of the FTURK elaborated on the issues of supporting citizens and businesses, providing social assistance to informally employed workers, material incentives for medical workers involved in the fight against the pandemic, as well as measures to create new jobs under the state program “Employment Roadmap”.
Dauletalin.S focused on work of trade unions during the COVID-19 crisis, including the volunteer work of trade Union members, placement of quarantine and observation facilities in trade Union health resorts and hotels.
Moreover Acting Chairman of the FTURK pointed out, in crisis conditions the role of the social partnership system increases objectively, in the course of which proposals should be developed for the preservation and creation of new workplaces, ensuring guarantees in the social and labor sphere, improving the effectiveness of state support measures for the real sector of the economy, return to the path of sustainable economic growth.
The basic document of the social partnership system at the national level is the General agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republican associations of employees and Republican associations of employers.
The draft concept of the General agreement has developed currently by the working group of the FTURK. The draft concept was based on the principles of decent work formulated by the ILO taking into account the proposals of affiliates, – noted S.Dauletalin.
Deputy Chairman of the FTURK Tinikeev Mukhtar focused on issues of employment support. He noted that, the new “Employment Roadmap” adopted for employment of Kazakhstanis aims to improve the quality of life of the population through the modernization and development of social, engineering and transport infrastructure, housing and housing facilities and the improvement of settlements.
Funding for the new “Employment Roadmap” will increase to 1 trillion tenge, which will create more than 240 thousand new workplaces.
Nuralin Asylbek, Chairman of the Mining and metallurgical trade Union “Kazprofmetall”(«Казпрофметалл»), shared the experience of trade unions in the extractive sectors of the economy.
According to results of the exchange of experience, the participants of the international webinar unanimously noted the necessity for rapid adoption of coordinated political measures and decisive actions by trade unions that respond to existing threats adequately.
Press service of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan