“HOW DO YOU LIVE, PRIMARY?”: TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE SOLUTION OF SOCIAL AND LABOR ISSUES

As part of the campaign “How do you live, primary?” Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Nurlan Uteshev met with the staff of the Local Trade Union Organization of employees of the company “Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.”

During the online meeting, the chairman of the Local Trade Union Organization of employees of the company “Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.” Mars Khairullin told about the work of the trade union committee to protect the interests of the labor collective.

According to him, at the end of 2021, a new collective agreement for 2022-2024 was signed in the company “Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.

At the same time, the trade union organization managed to defend almost all the previous provisions and achieve new improvements.

“A new payment has been established to the company’s employees – persons with disabilities – in the amount of 30,000 tenge per month. The amount of the allowance for the birth of a child to the company’s employees has been increased – from 250,000 tenge to 400,000 tenge. The amount of payments to families raising 3 or more school-age children has been increased by the beginning of the school year – from 30,000 tenge to 40,000 tenge per child. Annual assistance in the amount of 200,000 tenge has been established for the families of our employees raising children with disabilities. In addition, there will be programs-grants for training, a program for voluntary termination of labor relations, the payment for combining duties in certain cases will be doubled – from 5% to 10%. The minimum wage in the company has also been increased – from 170,000 tenge to 250,000 tenge, now every new employee of the company is guaranteed to start working with a decent salary. The amount of the interest–free advance has been increased by 2.5 times – up to 5,000,000 tenge. Holiday payments in the amount of 30,000 tenge have been established for women by March 8th and men by May 7th. The amount of monthly payments to Afghan soldiers, combatants on the Tajik-Afghan border has been increased from 25,000 tenge to 30,000 tenge. The amount of assistance in case of death of an employee, a family member has been significantly increased – from 180,000 tenge to 300,000 tenge,” Mars Khairullin listed.

He noted that the West Kazakhstan region is the third oil-producing region of the republic in terms of oil production after Atyrau and Mangistau regions, which accounts for 16% of total oil production in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main volume of oil production is provided by the company “Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.”. The number of employees in the KPO company is 4,076 people, of which the share of Kazakhstani employees is 95% (3,878 people).

To date, all employees of the company, regardless of their affiliation to a trade union, enjoy social benefits provided to them in accordance with the current Collective Agreement.

Also, the trade unions submitted a request to the employer to increase the wages of employees by 10% due to rising prices for consumer goods, inflation.

Summing up the meeting, Nurlan Uteshev thanked the company’s professional activity for measures to improve the social and labor guarantees of employees. He noted the special role of the company “Karachaganak Petroleum Operating B.V.” in the economic development of the state.

“For the members of the trade union of this organization, decent working conditions are needed and only the members of the trade union should use the benefits of the collective agreement. Employees who are not members of the trade union must pay a contribution to use the benefits of the collective agreement,” said the deputy chairman of the FTURK.

In conclusion, Aigul Esekenova reminded about the tasks of trade union organizations in the region in solving vital issues of labor collectives. According to her, there are many contracting and subcontracting organizations in the West Kazakhstan region that require intervention from the Trade Union Center and local executive bodies.

“The Akimat of the West Kazakhstan region is working to increase the level of minimum wage for employees of the oil and gas industries, and the Trade Union Center, together with industry and local trade unions, will continue to work on improving the working conditions of employees of these industries,” the chairman of the Trade Union Center of the West Kazakhstan region added.