In its letter to the government, the ITUC points to a case taken by the government to the national economic court to remove the registration of the CNTUK, as well as administrative obstacles to many unions which have sought registration.

Sharan Burrow, ITUC General Secretary, said: “Kazakhstan has ratified ILO Convention 87 on Freedom of Association. Under that Convention, it is legally obliged to allow unions to operate without this kind of administrative interference and allow workers the freedom to form and join unions. We call on the government to fulfil these obligations without further delay.”

To read the letter to the Kazakhstan government