Kazakhstan’s Government reviewed labor regulation
A Government meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Askar Mamin, has considered the issues of labor relations regulation, Kazakh PM’s press service reports.
Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population B. Nurymbetov, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions Ye. Tugzhanov, Governors of Almaty region A. Batalov, Atyrau region - N. Nogayev, Zhambyl region - A. Myrzakhmetov reported on the situation with enterprises' wage arrears and labor market regulation.
In the 2019 Global Competitiveness Index by the factor of “Labor market efficiency” Kazakhstan rose from the 30 to 25th placement, overtaking Georgia (37), Russia (62), Ukraine (69) and other countries.
In July this year the Government has introduced a draft law “On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Labor Issues” before the Mazhilis of the Parliament, which provides for changing of labor contracts into electronic format, establishment of duties and responsibilities of employers to create decent working and living conditions for employees, and expansion of secondments within the group of one company, consolidation of measures for the implementation of the OSH management system based on the assessment and management of occupational risks at the enterprises and other measures.
Over 6.7 million employees are working in Kazakhstan. From January 1 this year the minimum wage has been increased one and a half times to 42.5 thousand tenge, and the salary of 1.2 million low-paid workers at 203 thousand enterprises - by 32%.
In 2017-2019, wage arrears were reduced by 169 million tenge or by 9.8% to 1.4 billion tenge. The largest number of debt enterprises in the city of Nur-Sultan, Aktobe, Almaty and Turkestan regions. 65 enterprises’ debt at the stage of rehabilitation and bankruptcy is 691 million tenge.
Over the past 3 years, labor inspectors, together with prosecution authorities, have identified 930 facts of violations of labor and migration laws, including 474 facts of wage imbalance at 25 enterprises, 681 permissions were revoked, 393 foreign workers were expelled from the country. This year, the Comprehensive Plan for the Resolution and Prevention of Labor Conflicts has been approved.
“One of the main tasks assigned to us by First President of Kazakhstan, Elbasy Nursultan Nazarbayev and Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, is to ensure social stability at enterprises and create safe working conditions for workers. Nowadays, a comprehensive legislative framework and tripartite social partnership have been established in this area, measures are taken to comply with safety measures and reduce injuries - for 10 months it is 13% lower compared to the same period in 2018”, Askar Mamin said.
The head of Government instructed to intensify the implementation of the Roadmap to reduce occupational injuries adopted this year, focusing on the prevention of industrial accidents.
“Governor’s Offices of the regions should improve the qualitative and quantitative, if necessarily, composition of the State Labor Inspectorate”, A. Mamin said.
The Prime Minister instructed to review the current algorithm for monitoring wage arrears, as well as tighten legislation on the timeliness of its payment.
“It should be unprofitable for an employer not to pay salaries to employees”, A. Mamin emphasized.
In order to prevent occupational diseases, the Ministry of Healthcare, together with the Ministry of Labor and the Federation of Trade Unions, have been instructed to take measures for their early detection, as well as to strengthen the provision of professional pathological assistance.
The Prime Minister ordered the creation of an interagency commission to discuss the possibility of Kazakhstan joining the Conventions of the International Labor Organization (ILO) and discussing pressing issues of social and labor relations.
A. Mamin drew the attention of the members of the Government to the low use of mediation in labor issues.
“The solution to almost every labor conflict takes place with the participation of state bodies, while these issues should be resolved, first of all, at the level of “employer-employee” through the mediation of the trade union”, the Prime Minister said, entrusting until the end of this year make suggestions on transforming the format of social partnership.
