On Wednesday, April 9, the 7th meeting of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries (CTUCA) was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. The Kazakh delegation was headed by Satylbaldy Dauletalin, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Trade union leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan came together to address pressing issues regarding the protection of workers’ rights in the Central Asian region, the advancement of social partnerships with national trade union centers, and the ongoing strengthening of the regional trade union framework.
Kyrgyzstan currently holds the chairmanship of the CTUCA. Welcoming participants, Muradil Dzhumadil de Uulu, Secretary General of the CTUCA and Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan, emphasized that this session is dedicated to improving the training and qualification systems for trade union personnel, and to shaping the future of social partnership in the union movement.
Speeches were also delivered by Ravshanbek Sabirov, Minister of Labor, Social Protection, and Migration of the Kyrgyz Republic, and the heads of national trade union centers: Kudratilla Rafikov, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Uzbekistan; Ismoil Fayzizoda, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Tajikistan; Ragchaa Bayaraa, Vice President of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Mongolia; and Amangeldy Jumayev, Chairman of the Lebap Trade Union Association of Turkmenistan.
Sergiusz Glovackas, Head of the Workers’ Activities Unit (ACTRAV) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the International Labour Organization (ILO), also addressed the audience, highlighting CTUCA’s role in fostering socio-labor relations within the region’s social partnership system.
In his address, FTURK Chairman Satylbaldy Dauletalin reviewed some of the Council’s achievements.
“We have incorporated key priorities into our Joint Action Plan, including the strengthening of regional cooperation, labor migration, tourism development, youth union policies, a unified communications strategy, the promotion of decent work in transnational corporations (TNCs), and the integration of TNC employers into social partnerships. We continue implementing these goals in a structured manner within each country,” he noted.
In light of rapid technological advancement, Dauletalin outlined a set of challenges facing the trade union community in the region. In particular, he proposed developing a ‘Standard for the Protection of Workers’ Rights in the Age of AI.’
“The rapid integration of AI and automation is transforming traditional labor relations. Algorithms are replacing human decisions — HR systems now decide on hiring, firing, and performance evaluation. Digitization is dismantling collective work structures. Remote work, gig employment, and platform-based labor are on the rise, making it harder for workers to organize and negotiate. Corporations are pushing for ‘flexible’ labor regulations that benefit business while stripping workers of social protections. Trade unions must adapt to this new reality,” he said.
He also stressed the lack of global regulatory mechanisms: “Currently, there are no unified international standards governing AI in labor relations. The UN and ILO are only issuing non-binding guidelines, such as ILO Recommendation №. 227 on Decent Work in the Digital Era. The EU and the US are drafting ethical AI laws, but these primarily address their own markets and often overlook the needs of developing countries.”
“Major tech and multinational companies are promoting labor models that benefit business but endanger workers. Traditional employment is increasingly replaced with civil contracts like freelancing or self-employment, depriving people of social guarantees and bargaining rights. Digital surveillance systems — activity tracking, emotional analysis via cameras — reduce workers to mere components in an algorithm. AI-driven layoffs are often opaque and unappealable. Unless trade unions intervene, corporations will impose a ‘digital employer dictatorship,’ leaving workers powerless. As the legal framework is still evolving, unions in our region must lead in shaping fair labor relations for the AI era. The proposed standards will safeguard workers and ensure trade unions remain influential in the 21st century. If the proposal is accepted, we’re ready to establish an international methodological center and begin development,” Dauletalin emphasized.
On organizational matters, Dauletalin proposed strengthening the Council’s operations by creating a permanent secretariat, establishing a headquarters, and resolving technical issues. He also suggested enhancing cooperation on tourism by updating the working group and developing a 2025–2030 CTUCA Tourism Development Plan.
Two panel sessions were held during the CTUCA meeting. The first, titled ‘Enhancing Training and Professional Development for Union Personnel in Central Asia: Challenges, Best Practices, and Development Prospects,’ featured Lazzat Yeszhanova, Director of FTURK’s Training Center. She outlined Kazakhstan’s experience:
“FTURK has adopted a Union Education Concept that significantly boosted the organization’s activities. The concept includes three levels: introductory training for union leaders and activists; mandatory training for elected and full-time union staff; and modular programs covering core union functions, such as administrative procedures, committee management, occupational safety oversight, and more. We’ve established a pool of union lecturers and hold over 500 seminars annually, reaching more than 40,000 union members,” she said.
She also highlighted several joint educational projects with social partners. One such initiative, the ‘Legal Literacy Program,’ held over 300 meetings with labor collectives, involving over 18,000 employees. The project was extended twice at the request of the Chairman of the Republican Tripartite Commission on Social Relations.
Regarding digital innovations, Yeszhanova shared that FTURK is developing digital avatars to explain union activities, neural assistants to support legal responses on labor legislation, and neural constructors to help create customized collective agreements for specific enterprises.
The second panel, ‘The Future of Social Partnership in the Union Movement: Global Challenges, Transformational Trends, and Strategic Prospects,’ featured Tolegen Kunadilov, Chairman of the Astana Union Center. He noted that FTURK has played a vital role in Kazakhstan’s socio-economic development and is recognized as a reliable social partner. He gave examples of successful cooperation:
“The 2024–2026 General Agreement includes improvements to wage systems, a methodology for determining the minimum monthly wage, analysis of wage indexation procedures in collective agreements, and joint recommendations to improve labor laws. We also pushed for the ratification of ILO Conventions №. 131 on Minimum Wage Fixing and №. 102 on Social Security Minimum Standards, as well as occupational safety standards. We launched efforts with social partners to ratify nine ILO conventions. Additionally, 23 sectoral and 20 regional agreements are in place, addressing job creation, wage indexation, occupational safety monitoring, labor dispute resolution, and improving safety councils,” he said.
Kunadilov added that FTURK introduced joint chairing in social partnership, with commission meetings now held at union venues and on-site. Collective agreements—currently active at 168,000 enterprises nationwide—play a central role in protecting employees. The number of such agreements grew by 2.3% in 2024 alone.
He concluded by emphasizing the need to develop new strategies for unions and employer organizations, and to increase the efficiency of the Republican Tripartite Commission on Social Partnership and the Regulation of Social and Labor Relations (RTC).
As part of the VII CTUCA meeting, an international football tournament, CTUCA CUP 2025, was held in Bishkek, with Kazakhstan’s trade union team among the participants.
FTURK’s football team was established five years ago from employees of the federation and primary unions in Astana. The team has won gold, silver, and bronze medals in past tournaments.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan