In Astana, a meeting took place between the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (FTURK), Satybaldy Dauletalin, and the Deputy General Secretary of the global union IndustriALL, Kemal Özkan.
During the meeting, trade union leaders discussed partnership issues with Kazakhstan’s sectoral unions and prospects for further cooperation.
Welcoming his international colleague, FTURK Chairman Satybaldy Dauletalin emphasized the importance of developing cooperation between the Federation and the global trade union structure.
“Our cooperation has reached the level of fraternal relations. At all international platforms, we see real support from IndustriALL. Today, the member organizations of FTURK are part of such a powerful international trade union association as IndustriALL, which fights for the principles of social justice on the global stage,” noted the FTURK Head.
He also highlighted the significant achievements of the Federation on the international stage.
First of all, he expressed gratitude to the leadership of IndustriALL for supporting Kazakhstan’s Federation of Trade Unions in restoring its membership in the International Trade Union Confederation.
“In November 2021, the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian countries was established, uniting more than 10 million trade union members. Last year, the national trade centers of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan signed an Agreement to create the Organization of Trade Unions of Turkic-speaking countries, bringing together more than 48 million trade union members. Today, within the framework of new integrated trade union structures, we pursue a coordinated policy to protect the social, labor, professional, economic, and other legal rights and interests of workers in our countries,” Satybaldy Dauletalin emphasized.
The FTURK Chairman detailed the Federation’s priority areas of activity. “Our main tasks are to promote the principles of social justice and decent work for all workers. For us, it is fundamentally important to advance the Decent Work Country Program and work on the introduction of international standards into labor relations, including into national legislation,” stressed the FTURK Head.
During the meeting, issues such as raising wages and ensuring fair compensation were also discussed. Satybaldy Dauletalin informed his foreign colleague about initiatives to increase the minimum wage and the introduction of a methodology for calculating it.
“In four years, the minimum wage has doubled. The Federation of Trade Unions advocates for the swift resolution of issues concerning the ratification of ILO Convention No. 131 on setting minimum wages, with special consideration for developing countries. In global practice, it is established that the minimum wage should be at least 50% of the average monthly wage,” noted the FTURK Chairman.
Moreover, he mentioned the need to address fairness in wage-setting systems. “According to the Labor Code, the employer independently regulates the wage system. The Federation of Trade Unions has repeatedly proposed requiring employers to consult with employee representatives,” said Satybaldy Dauletalin.
The FTURK Chairman also focused on workplace safety issues. “FTURK actively participated in developing the new Safe Labor Concept for 2024–2030, aimed at transitioning from a compensatory model to risk-based occupational safety management principles. Currently, our member organizations have 11,000 workplace councils and 18,000 technical labor inspectors from trade unions,” stated Satybaldy Dauletalin.
He noted that due to trade union initiatives, the country has implemented measures to transfer the state labor inspection function from local executive bodies to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which has strengthened control over labor law compliance.
The Deputy General Secretary of IndustriALL highly praised the goals and initiatives of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, noting the importance of their work in promoting social standards and workers’ rights. He emphasized that FTURK’s efforts to strengthen social justice and implement decent work principles are not only relevant but also necessary for the sustainable development of the socio-labor sphere.
According to him, IndustriALL views Kazakhstan as an important partner and highlighted the significance of having three branches in the country, particularly in the chemical, gas, and oil industries.
Kemal Özkan underscored the importance of building trust at all levels of the trade union movement, considering it a key factor for successful cooperation and the growth of trade union membership.
At the end of the meeting, both sides confirmed their commitment to actively develop cooperation and continue working together to protect workers’ rights and create fair working conditions.
Reference: The global union IndustriALL represents the interests of 54 million workers in 140 countries worldwide, employed in the mining, energy, and manufacturing industries. It is one of the driving forces of the global solidarity movement, fighting for better working conditions and trade union rights across the world.
FTURK Media Center