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.
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.
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.
Trade union confederation in Kazakhstan faces dissolution9 December, 2016Five years after 17 striking oil workers were shot dead by riot police in Kazakhstan, trade union rights remain under severe repression in the country.
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.
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.
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.
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.
