As part of his working trip to the East Kazakhstan Region, the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (FTUK), Satybaldy Dauletalin, met with the “Enbek” deputy group of the regional maslikhat. The meeting was moderated by the Chairman of the regional maslikhat, Denis Rypakov, who noted that the “Enbek” group, created in the representative body at the initiative of the FTUK, actively advocates for the interests of workers in the East Kazakhstan Region.
“We support the joint efforts of deputies and trade unions, welcome their initiatives, and try to contribute to solving issues at enterprises,” said Rypakov.
The group is headed by deputy Saniya Aubakirova, who detailed the group’s activities.“The group includes seven deputies. Since our creation in December 2023, we developed an action plan. One of our first meetings was a dialogue with trade union leaders and activists. Their requests became the foundation of our work. We visit enterprises, meet with labor collectives, provide legal assistance, and submit proposals at maslikhat sessions,” she explained.
She asked FTUK Chairman Dauletalin to assist in solving the issue of salaries for public sector workers, which are currently calculated based on the Basic Official Salary (BOS).Dauletalin shared his position on the BOS issue:“We believe it is time to abandon BOS and move to a calculation based on the minimum wage. We have submitted this proposal to the government. The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection is now considering it,” he said.
During the meeting, Serik Mizanbekov, representative of the Commissioner for Human Rights in the East Kazakhstan Region, spoke about the Ombudsman’s work under a memorandum with the regional trade unions. Signed in May last year, the memorandum aims to jointly raise legal awareness, visit enterprises, meet labor collectives, and develop policies to protect workers’ rights.
“In 2024, we received 265 complaints regarding labor rights violations, such as illegal dismissals, wage delays, and poor working conditions. As a result:
– 34 were resolved in favor of employees;
– 193 received consultations;
– 38 were forwarded to relevant authorities,” said Mizanbekov, adding that the Ombudsman’s office and trade unions share a common goal in protecting workers’ rights.
Chairman Dauletalin thanked participants for their active support of workers’ rights and emphasized the importance of such cooperation.
“The FTUK was actively involved in the election process. Today, we have deputies in Parliament who represent trade union members. At the local level, more than 300 trade union leaders and activists serve in regional, city, and district maslikhats. The creation of ‘Enbek’ groups and their joint work with trade unions is a key step in solving labor issues and defending workers’ interests,” he noted.
He outlined the priority areas for cooperation:
– Ensuring safe working conditions
– Fair wages
– Raising legal awareness among workers
– Providing legal assistance
Dauletalin highlighted successful cooperation in East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, Kostanay, and Almaty regions, where on-site meetings at enterprises have become effective practices. He announced plans to scale this model across all regions through the exchange of experience.
At the end of the meeting, he awarded members of the “Enbek” group with Certificates of Honor from the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan