“Trade Unions Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan” Republican Association of Trade Unions (hereinafter: Federation) is a non-profit organization established by industrial labour unions in other legal form. It unites industrial labour unions, local (at region, city of republican significance, capital level) associations of labour unions.

The Federation is an authorized representative of employees and member organizations in social partnership at the republican level and it operates under the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On Labour Unions” and other legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan, generally recognized principles, international law standards and the Statute of Federation. 

The Federation scope of operation covers implementation of tasks aimed at protecting the rights of members of trade unions, member organizations, and also arrangements that ensure achieving the goals set forth by the Statute of Federation.

To achieve the goals, the Federation pursuant to the Statute:

1) Represents and protects the rights and legal interests of its members, and also represents employees during their interaction with government agencies, employers, associations (unions) of employers, other public associations.

2) Participates and assists in the development of social partnership system at all levels.

3) Participates in operation of the republican trilateral commission for social partnership.

4) Acts as a social partnership party during conclusion of the General Agreement with the republican associations of employees and Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan (hereinafter: the General Agreement); participates in negotiations for drawing up a draft General Agreement and its signing; monitors its execution.

5) Initiates and participates in the drawing up of legal acts related to labour and social rights and legal interests of citizens.

6) Performs public control over observation of labour legislation and implementation of state (government) programs for social and labour support.

7) Participates in the development of state programs ensuring employment, labour and environment protection as well as social programs aimed at creating conditions that ensure decent living standards and unconstrained development of human.

8) Conducts examination of draft laws, draft legal and other acts related to socioeconomic and labour rights and legal interests of employees.

9) Participates in the elections of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, deputies of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and local representative bodies pursuant to the legislation.

10) Encourages ratification of the international treaties, conventions for labour relations, civil rights, socioeconomic and other issues as well as legislative recognition and implementation of generally recognized principles and standards of the international law by the Republic of Kazakhstan.

11) Participates in settlement of collective labour disputes; uses other methods to defend labour, socioeconomic rights and legal interests of employees provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan; coordinates actions of member organizations.

12) Provides legal advice to member organizations, including on the mediation issues.

13) Has a right to bring suits to courts to protect the rights and interests of member organizations and trade union members and represent them at courts, labour arbitration and arbitrage as well as in government agencies pursuant to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

14) Has a right to address to government agencies on the issue of cancelling fully or partially or changing of approved legal acts that infringe the rights and legal interest of trade union members.

15) Has a right to appeal government agencies' acts in court that infringe the legal interests of trade union members.

16) Assists in establishing and enhancing relations between local trade union associations and local executive and representative bodies, associations of employers, political parties and other public associations.

17) Performs other activities pursuant to the legislation.

The Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan imposes control over observation of labour legislation and standards for labour safety and protection to state labour inspectors and technical inspectors for labour protection, who are approved by the decision of work council and internal service for labour safety and protection. A technical inspector for labour protection participates in investigation of industrial accidents as well as in comprehensive inspections of labour safety and protection that are performed by the state inspectors. A technical inspector has a right to get information and clarifications, including those in writing, from employees and other officials that are required for execution of his/her functions.

To date, the number of technical inspectors for labour safety in the Trade Unions Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan amounts to over 17 thousand people and they have had detected over 118 thousand violations out of which 112 thousand were rectified. Despite of the work done and enhancement of regulatory framework for labour safety and protection, industrial accidents keep happening and often turn into human tragedies and become the reason for serious economic losses.

Trade Unions Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan supports the plans of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and annually conducts events to commemorate the World Day of Social Justice, World Day for Safety and Health at Work and World Day for Decent Work.

Under the social partnership, the Trade Unions Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan concludes the General Agreement with the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and republican associations of employers. To date, the General Agreement for 2021-2023 has been concluded.

Based on collective negotiations, industrial labour unions conclude industrial (tariff) agreements with industrial ministries and unions of employers. Twenty five industrial agreements have been concluded in the country. Local trade union associations conclude regional agreements (14 regions and cities: Astana, Almaty and Shymkent) with local executive bodies and associations of employers.  Seventeen regional agreements have been concluded. Over 146 thousand collective agreements are active at the level of organizations. In organizations that have functioning trade unions, over fifteen thousand of collective agreements have been concluded and coverage with contractual relations reaches above 97%.

Major part of collective agreements belongs to large industrial organizations, healthcare and educational organizations. Most of the concluded agreements have clauses that stipulate mutual liabilities to ensure stabilization of organization activities; increase of salaries; enhancement of material and technical facilities; provision of privileges and recompenses not provided for by the legislation; increase of qualitative level of labour potential; promotion of labour safety and health of the employees.

The social partnership system based on the contemporary challenges has been established in the country. Four levels of decision-making not overlapping each other have been determined: republic – industry – region - organization.

One of the major functions of the Trade Unions Federation of the Republic of Kazakhstan is participation in social partnership as well as in operation of the republican trilateral commission for social partnership and regulation of social and labour relations. Pursuant to the Labour Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the republican, industrial and regional trilateral commissions for social partnership and regulation of social and labour relations operate in the country. The key direction of the commissions operation is to ensure stability in labour collectives, payment of salaries and countering their decrease and maintenance of social guarantees for employees.