On November 27–28, 2024, a meeting of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries is taking place in Dushanbe.

The meeting is attended by leaders of national trade union centers from Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as representatives from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

The delegation from Kyrgyzstan, headed by FTUK chairman Muradil Dzhumadilde uulu, includes FTUK vice-chairman Omurbek Sharshenaliev, chairman of the Trade Union of Healthcare Workers Sultan Abdildaev, chairman of the trade union of light industry, related sectors of the economy and services Nurgul Imanbaeva, and vice-chairman of the trade union of light industry, related sectors of the economy and services Almabubu Zharkynbaeva.

As part of the cooperation between the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries, a seminar has begun dedicated to developing and strengthening joint strategies among the region’s trade unions in the field of socio-economic policy and labor migration.

At this seminar, the chairman of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan delivered a presentation titled “The Role of Trade Unions in Supporting Cross-Border Migration. Facilitating Prosperous Interstate Migration in Central Asia.”

During his speech, Muradil Dzhumadilde uulu emphasized that labor migration is not only a challenge but also an opportunity to strengthen ties between countries.

“Considering the importance of cross-border migration, and labor migration in general, the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan has established a new association of trade unions—the ‘Trade Union of Workers Abroad.’ Its first founding congress was held, during which the Charter was adopted and a chairman was elected. The Trade Union of Workers Abroad will provide legal assistance and protection of labor rights, as well as offer consulting and information services to migrants. I would like to note that Kyrgyzstan ratified ILO Convention No. 97 ‘Migrant Workers’ in 2008. To date, several negotiations have been held with the trade unions of Russia, Turkey, Lithuania, Latvia, and Germany regarding cooperation, and our representatives will travel to these countries to provide labor assistance to our compatriots”, noted the FTUK chairman.

During the session, the results of the contest for the title “Best Social Partner” of the Council of Trade Unions of Central Asian Countries were reviewed. The winner of the contest from FTUK was the “Cascade of Toktogul Hydroelectric Power Plants”, represented by Director Taichabarov Amangeldi Ormonovich.

It is worth noting that over the course of two days, the leaders of the trade union centers will discuss ways to implement legal frameworks and social protection measures to safeguard the rights of labor migrants, with a focus on fair wages, working conditions, and access to social security.