Kyrgyz union leaders call to guarantee freedom of association and free the world of work from violence and harassment

Two-day technical consultations brought together more than 45 leaders of the Federation of Trade Unions, heads of its regional entities and all sectoral unions. They reaffirmed their commitment for full implementation of ILO Convention No.87, ratification of ILO Convention No.190. The consultations helped to better understand their role in ensuring a respectful and safe working environment that is free from discrimination, harassment and violence.

The meeting provided a good space to discuss the implementation of the fundamental rights at work with a particular focus on the freedom of association and collective bargaining. The discussion was joined by the Members of Parliament, representatives of the President’s Office and the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Migration, employers’ organizations, UN agencies, EU Delegation in the Kyrgyz Republic, NGOs and independent legal scholars.

The event was technically supported by the ILO Gender, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Branch (GEDI) and Bureau for Workers' Activities (ACTRAV) in collaboration with the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) .


“We welcome the initiative of the Federation of Trade Unions to hold the technical consultations in such open format with participation of a pool of international experts. We encourage the unions to address the existing legal gaps to better comply with the international labour standards and reinforce the trade union movement in Kyrgyzstan,” said Chingiz Aidarbekov, Member of Parliament.

“The freedom of association is equally relevant for employers’ organizations and business associations in light of the recent initiative of the Government to introduce amendments to the Law on Chamber of Commerce and Industry and introduce compulsory membership in the Chamber,’ said Gulnara Uskenbaeva, President of the Business Suppliers Association.

Anton Leppik, ITUC/PERC, and Oksana Wolfson, Head of Freedom of Association Branch, ILO Geneva, spoke about recent developments in Kyrgyzstan regarding the compliance with the fundamental ILO Conventions guaranteeing freedom of association and the right to organize. Special attention was given to the Observation and Direct request of the Committee of Experts on the Application of Conventions and Recommendations (CEACR) to the Government of Kyrgyzstan on the implementation of ILO Convention No. 87.

The panel discussion was moderated by Gocha Aleksandria, Senior Specialist in Workers' Activities, ILO Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
During the following sessions Victor Hugo Ricco, Senior Specialist in Worker's Activities, ILO/ACTRAV (online), Özge Berber Agtaş, Gender Equality and Non-discrimination Specialist, ILO Office for Eastern Europe and Central Asia and Marieke Koning, ITUC Equality Officer presented workplace trade union policies and collective bargaining agreements in preventing violence and harassment and promoting freedom of association based on international good practices and lessons learnt.

Trade unions leaders expressed their satisfaction with the results of the two-day event:

“After these consultations, we plan to submit another formal letter on behalf of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan to the Ministry of Labour and the Cabinet of Ministers requesting to accelerate the consideration and ratification process of ILO Convention No.190,” said Rysgul Babaeva, Deputy Chairperson of the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan.

“We will continue to introduce in our collective agreements provisions on addressing violence and harassment in the workplace and we will definitely refer to the recommendations and experience presented at this workshop,” said Almabubu Zharkynbaeva, Chairperson of Textile and Light Industry Workers Unions.

“I propose that the Federation of Trade Unions of Kyrgyzstan and sectoral unions act together with the Council on the rights of women, children and gender equality under the Speaker of the Parliament. We may organize a series of discussions during the 16-days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence that is the annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day», said Nurjan Bardinova, Secretary of the Council on the rights of women, children and gender equality under the Speaker of the Parliament.