On Tuesday, May 6, in Astana, the regular session of the General Council of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (FTURK) took place, where key issues of the trade union agenda were discussed, strategic decisions were made, and international initiatives aimed at strengthening the position of the trade union movement in the country and internationally were reviewed.
Today, members of the General Council unanimously approved the admission of a new member organization – the Sectoral Trade Union of Information and Communication Technology Workers (Public Association “Sectoral ICT Trade Union”) – into the Federation.
As reported by FTURK Chief of Staff Nurlibek Zhumash, the sectoral trade union of information and communication technology workers was established in 2022 and currently includes 15 branches and primary trade union organizations, with about 1,500 members.
The decision to join the Federation of Trade Unions as a full-fledged member organization was made at the meeting of the Central Council of the sectoral trade union on December 10, 2024.
One of the key issues discussed at the meeting was the preparation for the Summer School of the Pan-European Regional Council of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC PERC), which will be held for the first time in Kazakhstan on July 9–10, 2025.
Deputy Chair of FTURK Gulnara Zhumageldieva presented information about the event.
“The decision to hold the Summer School in Astana was officially approved on January 16, 2025, at the meeting of the ITUC PERC Steering Committee. The initiative was first discussed in October 2024 during the 22nd meeting of the PERC Executive Committee. Trade union leaders and experts from most European countries, as well as representatives of the International Labour Organization, the European Trade Union Confederation, the European Trade Union Institute, and associated organizations, will participate in the Summer School,” said Gulnara Zhumageldieva.
The PERC Summer School is a high-level discussion platform where trade union activists discuss current challenges, share experiences, and develop joint approaches to protecting labor rights. It also serves as a mechanism for preventing violations of trade union freedoms in Europe and beyond.
The main focus of the Summer School will be the theme “Strengthening Union Power – Enhancing Collective Bargaining and Workplace Democracy.”
As a result of the discussions, it is planned to contribute to the global ITUC campaign “For Democracy That Delivers,” aimed at protecting democratic institutions and workers’ rights worldwide.
FTURK Chair Satybaldy Dauletalin shared his thoughts on the significance of this event for the country and for the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a whole.
“For all the years of development of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, and the trade union movement in the country as a whole, a Summer School of European trade unions has never been held on the territory of Central Asia. This event is of great historical significance and a sign of trust in the Federation of Trade Unions,” emphasized the FTURK Chair.
As Satybaldy Dauletalin noted, national trade union centers from around 80 European countries, including those with a deep trade union history and traditions, have confirmed their participation in the Summer School. An important and symbolic moment will be the visit to Kazakhstan of the heads of major international trade union organizations.
“It is especially important that for the first time Kazakhstan will welcome the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation Luc Triangle, the General Secretary of the European Trade Union Confederation Esther Lynch, as well as the Director of the ILO Bureau for Workers’ Activities Maria Helena André. They will be accompanied by leaders and officials from 80 countries, as well as international experts,” noted the FTURK Chair.
The FTURK Chair especially emphasized that the Summer School is not only a professional forum, but also an opportunity to present Kazakhstan as a democratic and open country on the international stage.
“We recently held meetings with representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation and the International Trade Union Confederation. All of them confirmed their high interest in participating in the event. The International Trade Union Confederation considers the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a driving force of the trade union movement in the entire region. Thus, we will represent not only Kazakhstan, but all of Central Asia. This is a great honor and a great responsibility,” noted Satybaldy Dauletalin.
Members of the General Council also approved the agenda of the upcoming 27th Congress of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is planned that during the Congress, the General Council will present a report on activities over the past five years.
A substantive discussion during the meeting was devoted to interaction with social partners in protecting workers’ rights.
The Chair of the Public Association “Sectoral Professional Union of Workers of Government, Banking Institutions and Public Services ‘Kyzmet’,” Mirbolat Zhakypov, noted that unlike other sectors where trade unions work with one relevant ministry, his organization covers many areas and requires engagement with several ministries and departments.
“Our activities cover workers in many sectors, and the ‘Kyzmet’ union brings together more than 102,000 employees whose work directly affects the efficiency of public administration, the financial system, and the quality of public services. We see positive results of social partnership through collective agreements,” said Mirbolat Zhakypov.
According to him, the Sectoral Trade Union currently includes 3,244 primary trade union organizations, and 93% of them have signed collective agreements.
The second speaker on social partnership was the Chief of Staff of the Public Association “Kazakhstan Sectoral Professional Union of the Oil and Gas Complex” Daulet Abdussattarov. He spoke about the activities of his trade union, which includes more than 25,000 employees of oil and gas and oil refining companies in Kazakhstan.
According to his information, KAZMUNAYGAZPROF actively cooperates with the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the “KAZENERGY” Association within the framework of the Sectoral Commission on Social Partnership and Regulation of Social and Labor Relations.
“Total expenditures on the implementation of collective agreements in our union exceed 35 billion tenge annually,” the speaker specified.
Summarizing his colleagues’ speeches, the FTURK Chair Satybaldy Dauletalin noted the successful work of sectoral trade unions in developing collective bargaining relations.
“It was a very wise decision by the ‘Kyzmet’ sectoral trade union to calculate the monetization of the collective agreement. The total expenditure on the implementation of the conditions of these agreements in 2024 amounted to 195.2 million tenge, which is 18 times more than in 2020. This is a worthy example of effective trade union work as a social partner. As for collective agreements in the oil and gas sector, it should be noted that out of 27 current collective agreements in the primary trade union organizations of KAZMUNAYGAZPROF, 20 provide for wage indexation. We raise the issue of indexation at the highest level and will continue this work together,” emphasized Satybaldy Dauletalin.
The meeting also reviewed the composition of the FTURK General Council, within which the powers of several members were confirmed. The powers of two members of the General Council were terminated, and the mandates of new representatives of sectoral trade unions were confirmed – Chair of the Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Sectoral Professional Union Askar Bisenov and Chair of the local trade union of healthcare workers “Densaulyq” Saken Katbayev.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan