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Labour rights and protection in Kazakhstan (as of 5 Sep 2012)

Countries
Kazakhstan
Sources
Maplecroft
Publication date
Origin
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The map below shows the risk to multinational companies of being complicit in the violation of workers’ rights across Kazakhstan. At the moment, Karagandy province presents the greatest risk, where violations so far this year have included the unresolved death of a labour rights activist in June and a strike over wages at the Annensky copper mine in May. Mangystau province is also a high risk area since the beginning of a protracted strike by oil workers in Zhanaozen in May 2011. By December, industrial action had escalated into a riot, and at least 16 people were killed in clashes between protesters and police. While there have been fewer reports of violations in other regions, companies still face the risk of being associated with the contravention of international standards, such as poor health and safety standards, restrictions on freedom of association and the exploitation of migrant workers.