Kazakhstan: union leader, prisoner of conscience, is released29 May, 2018Nurbek Kushakbayev, deputy chair of the KNPRK and labour inspector of the trade union of Oil Construction Company (OCC), was released from prison in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan on 28 May. His colleague Amin Yeleusinov, former chair of the OCC trade union, was released a week ago.
Global unions speak up for Kazakh trade unions23 May, 2017Amin Yeleusinov, chair of the Trade Union of Oil Construction Company was sentenced on 16 May to two-years imprisonment in Kazakhstan. The trade union leader dismissed all charges against him as unjust.
Activists in Kazakhstan face continued repression15 March, 2019Workers in Zhanaozen, Kazakhstan, have been holding rallies since 22 February, demanding increased wages for low-paid categories of workers to 150 thousand tenge (US$395), jobs for the unemployed, and full freedom to exercise trade union activities. Kazakh authorities have responded by arresting 19 people.
Kazakh court rejects union leader’s appeal for justice6 October, 2017The Shymkent city court refused to satisfy the appeal of the trade union leader Larisa Kharkova sentenced to a four-year restriction of her freedom based on “power abuse” accusations as chair of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan: IndustriALL demands safety improvements after three killed at ArcelorMittal1 September, 2017Three workers were killed and another three seriously injured on 31 August at JSC ArcelorMittal Temirtau’s Kazakhstanskaya mine in the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan.
Kazakh trade unions sue ArcelorMittal for not respecting collective agreement20 September, 2017The Metallurgical Workers' Union Zhaktau and Mineworkers’ Union Korgau at ArcelorMittal Temirtau in Kazakhstan initiated a lawsuit against the company for failure to conclude a new collective agreement and for not respecting social benefits and guarantees of employees.
Rebuilding union strength in Caspian region17 October, 2018Unions representing workers in the oil and gas sector of the Caspian Sea region gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, for a network meeting on 3 October 2018.
Unions unite to defend workers’ rights4 October, 2018Over 80 delegates representing 40 IndustriALL affiliates from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) met on 1 - 3 October in Baku, Azerbaijan, to discuss effective trade union response against the challenges in the regions.
ArcelorMittal prosecutes Kazakh unions after underground protest9 February, 2018ArcelorMittal filed lawsuits against two unions and a rights organization in connection with a strike at company mines in Karaganda at the end of 2017, despite previously committing to not prosecuting workers for their participation in the strike.
IndustriALL encourages Kazakh oil unions to merge30 May, 2013Union leaders and activists from the oil regions in Kazakhstan attended an ILO workshop in Atyrau. During the discussions the participants grasped the necessity of one strong national oil sector union.
