On March 9-10, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Satybaldy Dauletalin visited Atyrau region on a working trip. During the visit, the head of the FTURK held a number of meetings with social partners. The main topics of discussion are the solution of the issue of wage arrears, its increase, prevention of labor conflicts and further development of the social partnership system in the region.
On the first day of the visit, the Chairman of the FTURK took part in a meeting of the working group of the trilateral commission on social partnership and regulation of social and labor relations. The meeting was attended by representatives of the akimat of the region and employers from 12 enterprises, most of them included in the risk map for labor conflicts.
Chairman of the working group – Head of the Atyrau region Trade Union Center Izturgan Baymukhanov noted that the meeting was mainly attended by the heads of oilfield service companies, whose employees made certain demands to employers. The claims of the employees of these enterprises are reduced to the actual problems of the current socio-economic situation – wage arrears or a demand for a salary increase.
However, there are other problems directly related to the violation of labor legislation. So, for example, about a hundred employees of Gazstroymontazh LLP employed on the Aman project in the Mukir rural district of the Kyzylkoginsky district on February 21 refused to continue work. The main complaints of employees are the absence of employment contracts and, as a result, irregular transfer of pension contributions.
At another large enterprise, Kazturboremont Service Center LLP, which carries out maintenance and repair of mechanical equipment at the Atyrau Oil Refinery, 279 people demanded a 50% salary increase and an additional payment for work on weekends.
Huge wage arrears were formed at the Caspian Contractors Trust LLP. The labor inspectorate of the region received a complaint from employees about an employer who has not paid wages since September last year. The employer was brought to administrative responsibility and on December 15, 2021, having taken a loan in the amount of 95 million tenge from the bank, he began to repay the salary debt.
Taking into account the arguments from the employers, the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Satybaldy Dauletalin recalled: “Wage arrears are like an employer picking the pockets of his employee. This is nothing but a violation of constitutional human rights.”
Continuing the topic of Satybaldy, Dauletalin noted that the main cause of labor conflicts recorded in 2021 was the issue of remuneration of employees.
“In 2021, we recorded 79 labor conflicts, workers mostly complained about low wages. Moreover, at those enterprises where there are trade unions, the issues were resolved promptly. Another reason for labor conflicts is that employers do not engage in dialogue with employees, do not explain the financial situation at the enterprise,” the Chairman of the FTURK stressed.
He recalled that following the results of the Republican Trilateral Commission on Social Partnership and Regulation of Social and Labor Relations, a number of instructions were announced to the parties of the social partnership.
“All relevant issues raised by labor collectives are reflected in the protocol of the RTK. The social partners were instructed to work together to solve problems in the field of remuneration, including the analysis of collective agreements at enterprises. It is no secret that at some enterprises the collective agreement is declarative,” said Satybaldy Dauletalin.
The Chairman of the FTURK called on employers, together with trade unions and government agencies, to consider the existing problems in the labor sphere at the next meeting of the regional trilateral commission scheduled for March 16.
The discussion of issues of joint activities with social partners continued during the meeting of the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan with the pool of negotiators formed on the initiative of the Atyrau Region Trade Union Center.
“Enbek elshisi– is what we call people whose civic position and experience allow negotiating with both employers and employees of enterprises in order to prevent social tension and possible labor conflicts,” Satybaldy Dauletalin said at a meeting with a pool of negotiators at the Trade Center.
The pool includes authoritative personalities of the Atyrau region, including employers, professional activists, public figures and journalists.
“One of the main tasks of the negotiators of Enbek elshisi is the organization and conduct of labor consultations with employers. Unfortunately, there are still employers who see trade unions as their enemy. Individual employers do not have an elementary understanding that by solving the problems of an employee, the entire labor collective, he ultimately solves the problems of the entire enterprise. The trade union and the employer are social partners, not opponents. Practice shows that in those enterprises where trade unions operate, the interests and rights of employees are respected, and labor disputes are resolved quickly and not to the detriment of both sides of the social partnership,” the Chairman of the FTURK stressed.
In turn, Enbek elshisi, chairman of the trade union committee of the primary trade union organization of the company “USS Support Services” Maral Koshenov shared with colleagues his vision of the activities of the pool of negotiators.
“The pool consists of people who can and should explain the basics of social partnership to both employers and employees. I believe that our work will help convince people to unite in trade unions and protect their labor rights in a legal way,” said Maral Koshenov.
Satybaldy Dauletalin wished his colleagues success in their endeavors and expressed confidence that thanks to the participation of Enbek elshileri, the situation in the labor sphere of Atyrau region will develop steadily.
The importance of maintaining social stability at the enterprises of the region was also discussed during the meeting of the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Satybalda Dauletalin with Akim of Atyrau region Makhambet Dosmukhambetov.
The parties stressed the importance of joint participation in the development of the social partnership system, in solving topical issues in the social and labor sphere.
The working trip of the Chairman of the FTURK to the region will continue with a visit to the S. Balgimbayev field and meetings with the labor collective of Embamunaigas JSC and with the professional asset of the Atyrau region.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan