The Summer School of trade unions was held for
the first time in Astana. Delegates from over 50 countries not only exchanged
experience but also discussed pressing issues, ranging from the impact of AI on
labor relations to the transition to a green economy. Representatives from
Kazakhstan noted that 97% of enterprises in the country are covered by
collective agreements. The session of the Summer School holds particular
significance for both Kazakhstan and the broader Central Asian region,
especially as the role of trade unions is growing amid global social and
economic transformations. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC),
the world’s largest labor organization, unites 200 million members across 169
countries.
«Over the past five years, we have established
a legal clinic with branches in each region. It provides free legal assistance
and consultations around the clock. A simple example: in five years, we have
won 247 lawsuits. Our goal is not only to adopt international best practices
but also to share our own experience. We have much to showcase,» said Satybaldy
Dauletalin, Chairman of the Kazakhstan’s Federation of Trade Unions.
«So the fact that all the unions from
throughout Europe, the leadership has come here to discuss about collective
bargaining is itself an important outcome. What I would say as well is that a
lot of issues that are here in Kazakhstan are the same issues throughout
Europe: workers are struggling to be able to understand how they get the
training to make the transition, how they make this to get fair wage to be able
to afford their home to put food on the table and how their children are going
to succeed in the future. So that’s where we all are together,» noted Esther
Lynch, General Secretary of the ITUC’s Pan-European Regional Council.
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