ILO, Kazakhstan sign roadmap to promote decent work
12 June 2024
GENEVA (ILO News) – A tripartite delegation - representing Government, Employers’ and Workers Organizations - from the Republic of Kazakhstan and the International Labour Organization (ILO) have agreed a Roadmap to promote decent work in the country between 2024-2025.
The Roadmap, signed on the sidelines of the International Labour Conference (ILC), outlines work in five main areas; including occupational safety and health, social dialogue and tripartism, and eliminating violence and harassment in the world of work.
The Roadmap allows for joint action by Kazakhstan and the ILO to advance the principles of the Decent Work Agenda, including enhancing national legislation by incorporating International Labour Standards.
In 2023, Kazakhstan adopted a new Social Code, introducing amendments to the Labour Code designed to bolster social dialogue and the institutional capacity of the social partners (Employers’ and Workers’ organizations).
Key areas in the new Roadmap include occupational safety and health and the enforcement of workplace standards through labour inspection. In the last three years the number of victims of occupational diseases in Kazakhstan has increased, from 237 in 2020 to 657 in 2022. A significant majority of accidents and occupational diseases occur in the mining industry. To address this, the roadmap includes concrete plans to ratify the ILO’s Safety and Health in Mines Convention, 1995 (No. 176) and amend current labour legislation correspondingly.
In 1999, Kazakhstan ratified the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (No. 87), and its provisions were integrated into national legislation - Further work on this legislation and its implementation will strengthen social dialogue.
Other priority areas of work are fair wages and comprehensive social protection. In this regard, Kazakhstan plans to ratify the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) and Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131).
The roadmap also foresees amending existing legislation aimed at preventing violence and harassment in the workplace, and opening discussions on the ratification of the Violence and Harassment Convention, 2019 (No. 190).
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Akmadi Sarbassov, First Vice-Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan, said, “This agreement reflects the dedication of Kazakhstan towards improving worker’s safety and dignity. We look forward to implementing the Roadmap with the support of the ILO.”
Also present at the signing ceremony were Satybaldy Dauletalin, Chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and Zhumabek Zhanykylov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Beate Andrees, ILO Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, welcomed the signing of this roadmap saying “we welcome the commitment of our tripartite constituents to ILO standards and stand ready to support their effective implementation - in the mining sector and beyond."