The statement Socialist Movement (SM) of Kazakhstan announced their stance against the detention of two oil workers on hunger strike, due to the closure of Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan.
ICP, 30 January 2017
On January 20th, the organizers of the hunger strike among oil industry workers in Kazakhstan, the Chairman of the Union «Oil Construction Company» Amin Yeleusinov and public labour inspectors Nurbek Kushakbaev were arrested being accused of embezzlement of trade Union funds. Accusations then followed as “calling of illegal strikes”. The custody will last 2 months and workers say they have already arrived to Astana. The hunger strike was organized against the closure of Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Kazakhstan with over 1600 members, on January 4. The protest is said to start with the participation of 90 workers, which then expanded with the participation of more workers on January 17, with a demand to open the confederation once again, closed under the ruling of Rule Otan Party and Nursultan Nazarbaev.
Following the arrests, the political council of Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan and Central Committee of the Kazakhstan workers’ Union (Zhanartu) published a statement declaring their positions in collaboration with oil workers.
“As we expected, the protesters, the workers in the process of expansion of the struggle will stop only on the requirements of the registration of the trade unions, and today they added one more – the release of their leaders Amin Yeleusinov and Nurbek Kushakbaev.
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Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan and the Kazakhstan workers` trade Union «Zhanartu» full solidarity with the demands of the protesters oil «Oil Construction Company» and also demanding the immediate release of Amin Yeleusinov and Nurbek Kushakbaev!
Also SDK and «Zhanartu» call on the trade unions, public associations, human rights activists and initiative groups of citizens to advocate arrested, and Communist, socialist and workers’ organizations to send a petition of protest and demonstrations at the diplomatic missions of Kazakhstan in their countries!"
wrote the joint statement by the Political Council of the Socialist Movement of Kazakhstan and the Central Committee of the Kazakhstan Workers’ Union (Zhanartu).
For the full text of the statement [EN] and [RU] see the link.