Kazakhstan needs genuine social dialogue11 April, 2023On 4-5 April, IndustriALL Global Union and the mining and metallurgical trade union Kazprofmetal held a joint strategic activity on union organizing in Astana, Kazakhstan, for union leaders and activists from most of the country's metallurgical operations.
Youth forum in Kyrgyzstan discuss organizing and communication9 June, 2023Better conditions for home workers, organizing and trade union communications were topics on the agenda at the Youth forum in Kyrgyzstan. On 1 and 2 June, IndustriALL brought together young trade union leaders and activists from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan under the age of 35.
Kazakhstan must respect workers’ right to strike29 January, 2024Around 500 workers in Kazakhstan’s oil industry have been on strike since December last year. They now face dismissals, interrogation and intimidation.
Kazakh union leader freed12 August, 2019Through a special pardoning decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Erlan Baltabay, leader of the independent oil and gas workers’ union and vice-president of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan (KNPRK), was released from custody on 10 August.
IndustriALL calls for release of Kazakh trade union leader24 July, 2019IndustriALL Global Union is calling for the immediate release of Kazakh trade union leader, Erlan Baltabay, after he was sentenced to seven years in prison by a Kazakh court on 17 July.
Kazakh union leader Erlan Baltabay released23 March, 2020On 20 March, Erlan Baltabay, leader of the Independent Oil and Energy Workers’ Union in Kazakhstan, was released from prison.
CIS unions demand improved health and safety in mines25 May, 2021When 60 participants from ten mining unions in seven CIS countries met on 20 May, the need for ratification and proper implementation of ILO Convention 176 on health and safety in mines was discussed.
Ten years after Zhanaozen, Kazakh unions still under pressure16 December, 202116 December marks the ten-year anniversary of the tragedy in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan, where police opened fire on protestors, killing 17 and injuring more than 100 workers. The violence ended a seven-month long strike, involving more than 3,000 workers demanding a wage increase.
Kazakh Oil Construction Company cracks down on union activists7 April, 2017**UPDATED** On 7 April the court of Astana sentenced Nurbek Kushakbayev to two-and-a-half years in a corrective labour colony for his calls to hold a strike. This is the first time a union leader has been prosecuted through the recently adopted Criminal Code. The judge has also satisfied the OCC’s demand to collect KZT 25 million (US$80,000) from Kushakbayev for alleged harm caused to the company.IndustriALL has joined a campaign against the criminalization of union activities in Kazakhstan.
Worker rights violations under spotlight at the ILO16 June, 2016The ILO Committee on Application of Standards at the 2016 International Labour Conference in Geneva heard testimonies from workers around the world facing increased repression and difficulties in exercising their rights enshrined in ILO Conventions.
