On Thursday, March 3, with the participation of Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Uteshev, an expanded meeting of the Coordinating Council of the Territorial Association of Trade Unions of the Turkestan region was held via videoconference.
There are 6 branches of branch and 4 local trade unions in the Turkestan region, including 904 primary trade union organizations with 35,994 trade union members. In 2021, primary trade union organizations were established in 62 institutions of the region, 3,654 people became new members of trade unions.
The results of the activities of the FTURK member organizations in the region for 2021 were presented by the chairman of the Professional Center of the Turkestan region Berdigali Omirali. According to him, six meetings were held within the framework of the social partnership of the Tripartite Commission on Social Partnership and Regulation of Social and Labor Relations. For consideration by the members of the commission, the Trade Union Center initiated issues related to labor disputes, wage arrears, compliance with the rights and interests of employees at enterprises. All of them were resolved in favor of the employees.
In 2021, 74 cases of industrial injuries were registered, including 5 group ones, in which 86 people were injured, 6 of whom died. In coordination with the social partners, a joint “Action plan for ensuring labor protection in the Turkestan region until 2025” was adopted in November.
Turkestan trade unions carry out daily work on the prevention and resolution of labor conflicts. According to the chairman of the Trade Union Center of Turkestan region Berdigali Omirali, in 2021, after the intervention of representatives of the Trade Union Center, through negotiations with the employer, it was possible to settle a labor dispute in Shardarinsky Bus Park LLP, which arose due to low wages of employees.
“Similarly, the dispute between employees and the employer was resolved in the State Enterprise Turarkent-Su, where the Territorial Union of Trade Unions proposed to consider the creation of a tripartite commission to resolve this issue. As a result of the work of the joint commission, the issues raised by the employees were resolved. They also helped in the Trade Union Center and the employees of “Sastobe Cement” LLP, where some of the workers were threatened with job cuts. The negotiation process with the social partners allowed to save jobs. Again, with the intervention of the Professional Center of the Turkestan region, 30 employees dismissed from Kazpost JSC were restored to their jobs. And at the Langer Su enterprise, due to salary arrears to employees, at the request of the Trade Union Center, the employer changed, the situation was resolved,” Berdigali Omirali said.
Noting that a collective agreement is a guarantee of compliance with the labor rights and legitimate interests of employees at enterprises and organizations, Berdigali Omirali said that currently 4876 enterprises out of 6939 have concluded collective agreements in the region. The work on the analysis of the content of collective agreements and the expansion of the coverage of enterprises by collective-contractual relations continues, the chairman of the Trade Union Center assured. This year, a pool of trade union leaders and activists has been formed to work on the prevention of labor disputes, trade union members are being trained in the practice of applying labor legislation, employers are also invited to participate in seminars.
Special attention in the Territorial Association of Trade unions of the Turkestan region is paid to the support of primary trade union organizations. Meetings with 116 labor collectives were held as part of the Republican campaign “How do you live, primary?”. Such meetings, held in all regions of the country, provided an opportunity to exchange experiences and take appropriate measures to address issues relevant to a particular workforce.
Issues requiring attention at the national level are addressed to the Federation of Trade Unions, and those that can be resolved on the spot are considered by the staff of the Legal Clinic of the Trade Union Center together with the Reconciliation Center. In total, 114 people received legal advice in the Reconciliation Center and the Yurklinik in 2021.
During the meeting, the reports of the heads of branches of branch trade unions were heard.
According to Kuldar Yesebayeva, chairman of the Turkestan regional branch of the branch trade union of state and bank employees “Қызмет”, 13 primary trade union organizations were created in the industry last year. 374 new members joined the ranks of the trade union. In total, there are 395 branch primary trade union organizations in the region, most of which work in rural areas and district centers. According to her, during meetings with labor collectives, issues of raising wages, spending union dues, obtaining preferential vouchers to a sanatorium and others are often raised.
Answering the questions of the Turkestan colleagues, Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nurlan Uteshev told about a new project being implemented in the trade union sanatorium “Мерке” in Zhambyl region. The peculiarity of the project is that any trade union member can register on the portal and receive treatment under the medical rehabilitation program at the expense of the Social Health Insurance Fund. Nurlan Uteshev said that this experience is planned to be used in other trade union health resorts. The Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions noted that the Federation and its member organizations hold meetings with primary trade union organizations on a regular basis. This allows you to listen to the opinions of ordinary members of the trade union and systematize current issues in the field of labor for further decision-making at the level of social partners. According to Nurlan Uteshev, trade union leaders elected to representative and legislative bodies of the country also help to initiate solutions to problematic issues of labor collectives. “About 400 leaders and activists of the trade union movement became deputies of regional, city and district maslikhats. It is important to involve our colleagues – deputies of maslikhats in solving certain issues at the local level,” Nurlan Uteshev recommended.
At the end of the meeting, the Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions thanked his Turkestan colleagues for their work and urged them to actively protect the rights and interests of workers within the framework of social partnership.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan