A regular plenary meeting of the Central Council of the Branch Trade Union of Workers of Chemical, Petrochemical and Related Industries was held in Nur-Sultan.
The plenary session was attended by the First Deputy Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tinikeev, heads of member organizations of the Branch Trade Union, as well as social partners represented by representatives of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Association “KAZENERGY”, the Association of Producers and Consumers of petrochemical products and the OUL “Kazhimprom”.
During the meeting, topical issues of the activity of the Branch Trade Union were discussed and the main tasks for 2022 were outlined.
The key was the Report on the activities of the Branch Trade Union for 2021, in which the Chairman of the Branch Trade Union of Workers of Chemical, Petrochemical and Related Industries Kerim Primkululy announced the main results of the work of the trade union of the industry.
According to him, the activity of the Branch Trade Union last year was aimed at the implementation of three strategic objectives.
First of all, we are talking about increasing the level of wages by increasing tariffs and official salaries, as well as establishing additional social benefits and guarantees in excess of those provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The second task is aimed at ensuring, together with employers, labor protection and industrial safety at industry enterprises.
The third direction was designated to ensure social stability in the labor collectives of the industry by preventing collective disputes and strikes.
Kerim Primkululy elaborated on the measures taken by the Branch Trade Union and its primary trade union organizations to achieve the designated strategic goals.
“Firstly, the Branch Trade Union ensured the signing of relevant Industry agreements, which provided for increased tariffs, approved industry coefficients for remuneration for work in harmful and difficult working conditions, established inter-category coefficients for employees from grades 1 to 8, and also established additional social benefits and guarantees in excess of those provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
All of them formed the basis of Collective agreements concluded at the enterprises of the industry,” the chairman of the Branch Trade Union said.
To develop high-quality projects and conclude new collective agreements, the Branch Trade Union provided all trade union organizations of the industry with the necessary regulatory and methodological documents.
Such as:
1) Model rule (standard) “On social support of employees and their family members in industry organizations”;
2) Model Rule (standard) “On internal communication between employers and employees of the industry”;
3) Methodological recommendations for the development of CD projects;
4) Standard Collective Agreement;
5) Standard provision “On the technical inspector for labor protection”;
6) Model Regulation “On the Industrial Council for Safety and Labor Protection.
A separate emphasis in the work is placed on the issues of training all members of working groups and commissions involved in the development and conclusion of collective agreements at industry enterprises.
As necessary, the members of the Council of the Branch Trade Union and the Chairman of the Branch Trade Union participated in negotiations with representatives of employers to reach consensus on raising wages and improving the social package of employees.
Members of the Council of the branch trade union actively participated in the work of the branch tripartite commissions, conducted constructive negotiations with social partners: representatives of employers and government agencies.
As a result of negotiations and multiple meetings of industry commissions to coordinate the interests of the parties to the social partnership, Industry agreements were signed, – said the chairman of the Industry Trade Union.
According to him, as a result of the work done within the framework of social partnership, the Branch Trade Union managed to:
- To ensure an increase in the minimum tariff of the first category for employees:
– chemical industry by 21% (1.21 MZP);
– petrochemical industry by 30% (1.30 MZP).
- To fix the minimum sizes of inter-category coefficients for employees from 1 to 8 categories.
- To establish additional increasing industry coefficients for workers in harmful and difficult working conditions:
– in the chemical industry 1.5;
– in the oil and gas and petrochemical industry 1.24;
- To fix the mandatory indexation of wages of industry workers at the level of annual inflation.
Kerim Primkululy stressed the importance of collective-contractual regulation in ensuring social stability in labor collectives.
Concluding a good collective agreement is not an easy task and employers always have enough arguments against increasing the social status of employees. Nevertheless, there are enough examples in the industry of constructive social partnership and skillful negotiation when concluding collective agreements. For example, the collective agreement of PetroKazakhstan Oil Products LLP was recognized as the Best collective agreement of the Republican contest “Paryz-2021”, the chairman said.
Within the framework of the collective agreement of Petro Kazakhstan Oil Products LLP, concluded in April 2021, the amount of salary was increased from 30 to 77%; the amount of medical leave allowance was increased from 400 thousand tenge to 800 thousand tenge, and 54 employees were allocated a loan at 3.5% for the purchase of housing through second-tier banks.
The collective agreement of Atyrau Oil Processing Plant LLP (ANPZ), where the salary level is the highest in the industry, has increased the salary by another 10% since January 2022. In 2020, 100 apartments were allocated to young professionals on an interest-free loan. For pensioners of the enterprise, payment of a monthly pension allowance in the amount of 12 thousand tenge is provided.
Positive changes were also noted in Kazphosphate LLP with the arrival of new investors (owners).
So, since January last year, wages at the enterprise have been increased by 15%, since July there has been an increase of another 15%, and since January this year it has been increased by 10%. In addition, a residential building for 72 apartments was put into operation in Karatau in 2021 for employees of the Sholaktau GPC.
In 2022, it is planned to introduce three more houses on 225 sq. m. in Zhanatas, which will also be allocated to needy employees of the enterprise free of charge.
Among the best K. Primkululy noted the collective agreement of JSC “Aktobe Chrome Compound Plant” (AZHS), which provides for a differentiated increase in wages by 9% to 40%, an increase in the wage fund by 15%, an increase by 20% of the fund of the shop foreman and an increase by 10% of payments for combining professions.
KazAzot JSC also provides for a 25% increase in wages from January 01, 2022.
The Chairman of the Branch Trade Union stressed the importance of improving the welfare of citizens and noted that this year the Branch Trade Union will continue its systematic work to increase the incomes of industry workers through a fair distribution of income.
“The January events have radically changed the lives of Kazakhstanis, and as the Head of State K.K. Tokayev said, the very first task is to increase the incomes of the population, since income generation is the main factor in improving the quality of life of citizens and strengthening stability and faith in the future. Unfortunately, the level of wages of workers working in the chemical, oil refining and petrochemical industries of our country is much lower than in Russia and Ukraine, not to mention European countries,” said the chairman of the Branch Trade Union.
He informed the participants of the meeting about the initiatives of the Branch Trade Union to gradually bring the level of wages in the chemical industry closer to the level of wages in the Russian Federation, submitted to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan for consideration within the framework of social partnership and amendments and additions to the existing Industry Agreement.
On March 4, 2022, the first meeting of the Industry Commission was held at which our proposals were conceptually supported by both representatives of employers and representatives of the Ministry.
With this in mind, the other day we made concrete proposals to change the Industry Agreement in the chemical industry for 2021-2023.
Similar work is carried out by the Branch Trade Union and in the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the “Sectoral agreement in the oil and gas, oil refining and petrochemical industries for 2020-2022″ expires this year. Therefore, the Industry Commission will have to work out a new draft Industry Agreement and this work has already begun,” the chairman said.
When considering the issue: “On measures to prevent labor conflicts, improve the system of remuneration and social security at the enterprises of the industry”, the participants of the plenum expressed their positions on maintaining stability at enterprises and increasing the wages of employees in order to avoid labor conflicts. In turn, the members of the Council of the Branch Trade Union proposed to amend the existing Industry agreements in the industries to increase the level of wages of employees.
At the first stage, it is proposed to make changes to bring the level of average wages of industry workers closer to the level of average wages of employees of the Russian Federation.
At the second stage, it was proposed to develop and implement 3- and 5-year programs to bring wages in the chemical industry of the country closer to the level of wages in the chemical industry of developed countries.
Along with this, the members of the Council:
- Approved the Message of the Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to the people of Kazakhstan on March 16, 2022.
- We considered the issue of the budget execution of the Council of the Branch Trade Union for 2021.
- Approved the budget of the Council of the Branch Trade Union for 2022.
- Approved the work plan of the Council of the Branch Trade Union for 2022.
Also during the plenum, successes over the past year were noted. The Chairman noted the high achievement of the trade union organization Petro Kazakhstan Oil Products LLP, which became the winner of the Republican contest of social responsibility of business “Paryz-2021” in the nomination “Best collective agreement”. This nomination examines collective agreements that significantly improve and strengthen the labor and social rights of employees provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan and awarding such an award is certainly an invaluable contribution of a trade union organization.
The Paryz-2021 award for the Shymkent Oil Refinery is a high assessment of the balanced system of labor relations at the enterprise, contributing to the growth of efficient production along with social protection of employees.
Another of the highlights of the past year was the announcement of the FTURK 2021 as the “Year of the primary organization of the trade Union”. According to the results of the review competition within the framework of the year of the primary organization, the trade union organization “ANPZ” LLP was recognized as the winner. At the Forum of primary organizations of the FTURK, Galymzhan Amanturlin was awarded the medal of the FTURK ” Еңбек озаты” and a commemorative pennant, and from the Branch Trade Union a souvenir and a Samsung Galaxy A02S smartphone. Also at the forum, the activist of JSC “AZHS” Alexey Kosyak was awarded the medal of the FTURK “Kazakhstan kasipodaktar kozgalysyna sinirgen enbegi ush”, and from the Industry Trade Union with a Samsung Galaxy A02S smartphone.
In conclusion, the chairman of the Branch Trade Union called on social partners to actively engage in dialogue and interaction in solving strategic tasks for the development of social partnership in the interests of employees of enterprises and organizations of the industry.