As part of a working trip to the East Kazakhstan Region on Thursday, April 24, the delegation of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan (FTUK), led by its Chairman Satybaldy Dauletalin, visited the electrolysis workshops of the Copper and Zinc Plants of the Metallurgical Complex of LLP “Kazzinc.”
The Director of the Metallurgical Complex, Turarbek Azekenov, presented an overview of the production. According to him, the company’s main activities include the production of zinc, lead, copper, gold, and silver. The total number of employees is 19,000, with 99% union membership. The average salary in the company is 776,000 KZT.
As part of the visit, the FTUK delegation participated in an expanded meeting of social partners to discuss labor safety in production. The event, dedicated to World Day for Safety and Health at Work, was held on the premises of LLP “Kazzinc” and brought together leaders of the region’s largest industrial enterprises, representatives of trade unions, and government agencies.
The meeting was moderated by the First Deputy Akim of the East Kazakhstan Region, Zhaksylyk Omar. In his opening remarks, he emphasized that ensuring safe working conditions at regional enterprises is a shared responsibility of all social partnership stakeholders.
“This is a significant event that brings together professionals in occupational safety, union representatives, employers, and specialists united by a common goal — creating a safe, modern, and healthy working environment. We are especially pleased by the participation of the Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions, which highlights the importance of joint efforts in ensuring labor safety and strengthening social partnership,” said the First Deputy Akim. In his speech, Bakytbek Kizatov, Head of the Department of the State Labor Inspection Committee for East Kazakhstan Region, outlined the main measures being taken to ensure workplace safety.
“The Ministry of Labor is planning to implement a Unified Digital Monitoring Platform, which will include automated systems for online monitoring of hazardous zones in production, as well as the use of analytics and AI-based risk forecasting. A pilot launch is planned at five large enterprises in 2025, with analysis and refinement in 2026, full-scale implementation in 2027, and mandatory inclusion of high-risk enterprises by 2028,” he reported. Meanwhile, since the beginning of 2025, 24 workers have been injured in workplace accidents in the East Kazakhstan Region, including three fatalities and 13 serious injuries.
Sultan Karimov, Chief Technical Officer for Occupational Health and Safety at LLP “Kazzinc,” reported on specific safety measures at the enterprise. He spoke about the implementation of the “Safe Labor 2.0” program across the company’s facilities. The program consists of nine elements, including established safety standards, proactive planning, enforcement of safe behavior rules, analysis, and decision-making processes. A key component of the program is cultivating responsible leaders among the workforce.
Nurlan Umarbekov, Chief Specialist for Social Work at the Metallurgical Complex of LLP “Kazzinc,” shared the experience of trade unions in monitoring safety at the workplace.“Years of practice have proven the effectiveness of parallel safety control by both the employer and the union. Our shared goal is zero injuries. Our technical inspectors are change agents in their teams, and thanks to their authority and the trust of their colleagues, they are helping shift workers’ attitudes towards safety for the better. That’s why our union places serious emphasis on selecting and training technical inspectors. As of April 1, 2025, 350 employees serve as technical inspectors. In 2024, they identified over 40,000 safety violations, half of which were entered into the ‘Deviation Management’ information system. All departments in the complex have created WhatsApp chats specifically for occupational safety, which include managers, technical inspectors, energy specialists, and mechanics. We have also launched our own corporate ‘Technical Inspectors School,’ which not only trains safety monitoring but also educates on influencing the psychological climate in teams,” said Nurlan Umarbekov.
Summarizing the participants’ reports, FTUK Chairman Satybaldy Dauletalin presented the Federation’s position. He elaborated on national-level occupational health and safety measures.
“Labor safety is one of the main areas of trade union activity. The Federation participated directly in drafting the Safe Labor Concept up to 2030, which shifts from a compensatory to a risk-based occupational safety model. We’ve successfully restored the National Center for Occupational Diseases. We are now proposing to revive workplace medical infrastructure. Moreover, we have long advocated for — and finally achieved — the transfer of the State Labor Inspection to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. Now, we must increase the number of labor inspectors. Currently, one inspector serves 23,000–24,000 workers, while global standards recommend one inspector per 10,000 workers. Until this issue is resolved, we propose utilizing the potential of technical inspectors by legally elevating their status and motivation,” said Dauletalin.
According to FTUK data, there are currently 16,600 technical labor safety inspectors and 11,500 workplace safety committees in Kazakhstan, most established through trade union initiatives.“Despite a declining trend in workplace injuries over the last five years, the overall situation remains unfavorable. Each year, around 200 people die at work, and over 1,000 are injured. The highest injury rates persist in industrial regions, including East Kazakhstan. Monitoring reveals that 70% of workplace deaths are due to employer negligence, and 69% of all workplace accidents occur at enterprises without trade unions. We propose tightening employer liability for labor safety,” Dauletalin emphasized.
The FTUK Chairman stated that addressing workplace safety requires a comprehensive approach from all social partnership stakeholders, as productivity cannot be increased without ensuring decent working conditions. “For trade unions, workplace safety is equal in importance to national security. Our stance is clear: a person who leaves for work in the morning must return home alive and healthy in the evening. No one should die earning a living. Safe working conditions are a shared goal for both employers and employees,” he stressed.
He praised the joint actions of Kazzinc’s social partners in labor protection. At the conclusion of the event, FTUK Chairman Dauletalin awarded smelters Kazez Bekshentayev and Zhenis Dosanov with the FTUK medal “Yenbek ozaty” (Labor Excellence). The medal “For Active Trade Union Work” and Certificates of Honor were presented to union members and leaders — Nurzhan Magziev, Raisa Dyusebayeva, Damir Kayyrbekov, and Svetlana Anikeeva.
Media Center of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan