On May 13th, the fifth session of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries took place in Khujand, Tajikistan. The event was attended by union leaders representing national trade centers of member states of the Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA) – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan – along with experts from the International Labour Organization.
The agenda centered on the promotion of decent work within transnational corporations and the engagement of multinational employers in social partnership.
In his opening remarks, Maliksho Nematzoda, the Secretary General of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries and Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan, highlighted the topical relevance of this theme for the region. He called upon participants to engage in active discussions on the main topic, analyze the current labor market situation, and collaboratively develop approaches to address these challenges.
During their introductory speeches, members of the Central Asian Trade Union Confederation underscored the paramount importance of ensuring decent working conditions within transnational corporations.
“By updating national and international legislation, it is imperative for all of us to enhance employer accountability, primarily by improving the quality of implementing social partnership tools. The trade unions of Kazakhstan support the call of the International Labour Organization and the International Trade Union Confederation to establish a universal labor guarantee that ensures all workers fundamental rights based on key ILO principles,” stated Satybaldy Dauletalin, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, in his welcome address. He emphasized the necessity of developing the institution of social contracts to achieve social justice, highlighting four main aspects of decent work: promoting full and productive employment, social protection, social dialogue and tripartism, fundamental principles and rights at work, along with principles of social justice.
The heads of national trade centers agreed on the definition of transnational corporations as the primary driving force of globalization. In particular, Kudratilla Rafikov, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, noted the increasing role of transnational corporations in the global economy during the post-pandemic period, evidenced by the blurring of borders and the emergence of factors shaping global economic processes. “The complex processes unfolding in the global economy require even greater unity of efforts, close cohesion of trade union ranks, gradually extending to encompass the entire continent. I believe it is time to give a new impetus to the activities of our Council – to transform the integration structure into an Asian Confederation of Trade Unions,” proposed the head of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan.
Participants of the session supported their colleague, supplementing the proposal with their ideas. In particular, Muradil Jumadilde uulu, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan, emphasized the relevance of the green economy and proposed selecting the creation of “green jobs” as one of the priority directions. According to him, this will provide people with sustainable, dignified work while simultaneously minimizing the negative impact on the environment.
Sergeyus Glovackas, Head of the Europe and Central Asia Department at ACTRAV/ILO, furthered the discussion by emphasizing the challenges arising from climate change, listing recent frequent disasters such as droughts, floods, and the depletion of water bodies. In this context, he highlighted that greening the economy is the only correct way forward, as it contributes to improving working conditions while considering the interests of each employee.
At the conclusion of the session, a decision was made to consider the proposal of the head of the national trade center of Uzbekistan to transform the Council into the Asian Confederation of Trade Unions through the Organizing Committee of the Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA), and to seek recommendations from colleagues at the International Trade Union Confederation and the International Labour Organization.
Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization operating at the international level, with its primary goal being the protection of social, labor, professional, economic, and other lawful rights and interests of workers, as well as the promotion of the rights and guarantees of trade union activities and the strengthening of international solidarity among trade unions.
CTUCA was established on November 10, 2021, in Tashkent by a general meeting of founders. Its founding members include the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan, and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan.
From September 19 to 22, 2022, the II Session of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries took place in Tashkent, with the participation of Sergeyus Glovackas, Head of the Europe and Central Asia Department at ACTRAV/ILO, and delegations from the trade unions of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Mongolia. During the session, a decision was made to admit new members into the organization – the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Mongolia. This decision demonstrates the expansion of CTUCA’s membership and the strengthening of cooperation among trade unions in Central Asia.
The Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan