Strike in Zhanaozen Recognized Illegal

All divisions and organisations of "Uzen Munaj Gaz" and joint-stock company "RD (Exploration and Extraction) "Kazakhstan Munaj Gaz" take part in the strike which started on March, 4th and it's already more than ten thousand persons. Nevertheless, negotiation process has not been started yet. Oil industry workers refuse to meet management of affiliated companies to whom they impeached credibility and demanded their resignation, the workers also insist on negotiation directly with the government and fund "Samruk-Kazyna".

Meanwhile, authorities try to gain time and to isolate general strike informatively. Non central channel or large publication has not notified citizens of Kazakhstan on unprecedented action of oil industry workers of Magistausky area begun. Now there is a war of nerves when the authorities try to reveal "instigators", "main organizers" and "extremists" and then demonstratively end with them having charged them with all responsibility for strike consequences and thus intimidating a great bulk of workers.

This tactics does not work. On the meetings the workers every day say that in case of provocations and arrests of active workers more than ten thousand people will walk to regional centre Aktau where they will organize protest mass meeting. They are completely supported in it by local residents, thousand of which have already expressed desire to support every action and performance of the strike committee and to join protest hunger-strike.

Protest hunger-strike remains an extreme measure and will be applied on expiration of two days, if negotiations do not begin. Absolute discipline is being kept in a camp of the strikers, spirits are forbidden, strike committee sits round the clock and makes decisions on further actions. For today the worker Saktaganov is elected the new chairman of the trade union "Uzen Munaj Gaz" (official part of Federation of Trade Unions of Komi) at spontaneous meeting.

Former heads have not transferred him zeal and documents but they are not being perceived by anybody and the workers have entrusted to represent their interests to independent regional trade union "Аktau". For today the strikers need solidary help in the form of letters, telegrammes of support and organization of a wide protest campaign. It is necessary to break off information blockade! In the near future organizing committee on formation of republican independent trade union will make the decision on the forms and campaign methods.

Zhanaozen area now is in cordon, as well as during strikes of the miners in 2006 the city of Shahtinsk in the Karaganda region was thrown in a security cordon. History repeats itself and authorities think over various variants of suppression of the strikers among which there are for sure certain power variants. However, recent events of December, 7^th when citizens of Zhanaozen conquered administration building of "Uzen Munaj Gaz" have sobering affect on the officials and oil barons.

We ask you to send support letters to striking oil industry workers of the Western Kazakhstan who defend requirements of nationalization and control of the workers!

Strike in Zhanaozen Hasn't Been Recognized Illegal 

On March, 9th joint-stock company "Exploration and Extraction "KazMunajGaz" submitted petition on recognition of the strike of the workers of industrial branch "Uzenmunajgaz" in the city of Zhanaozen of Mangistausky region illegal.

As it's stated in press-release of "Exploration and Extraction "KazMunajGaz", "Management continues attempts to build meaningful dialogue with participants of the action and counts on help of local authorities and law enforcement bodies in maintenance of legality and order in the city of Zhanaozen".

It's very interesting meaningful dialogue - several persons were brought to administrative action, whereas almost 10 thousand people participate in the strike, then it's necessary to bring all to action. There appears a question: "Who brought the workers to the strike?"

As participants of the strike consider, the fault lies both on the management of KMG which compulsorily entered Order on wages and on official trade union of OMG - official part of Federation of Trade Unions of Komi - that did not watch a course of performance of memorandum and signed additional agreement. Therefore both organisations should divide responsibility for the event.

Then to what extend actions of administration of the company are lawful, such as for example, appointment of the chairman of trade union, not carrying out of memorandum and additional agreement, infringement of safety precautions and other. Even these three infringements are enough to bring an action and impose a fine.

At the same time, under information which can be trusted, in the press release of Akimat of the region is told that the management of KMG is guilty, it declared that there's no trade-union committee, so there's nobody to negotiate with. The company administration refuses to reckon with labour collective at the moment.

Workers of OMG will continue strike further and are not going to recede, the given judgement has only untwisted a vector of social intensity.

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