Arlette LAGUILLER,
Former member of the Europarliament and of the regional council of
Ile-de-France, former candidate of Lutte Ouvriere at the French
presidential elections,
To
Amanzhol Zhaygalievich Kabylov,
Head of the Regional Affairs Department
I have become aware of the scandalous lawlessness happening to oil-industry workers in Western Kazakhstan.
I am outraged by the actions of the Karazhanbasmunay JSC acting President Yuan Mu who has accused Karazhanbas trade union lawyer Natalya Sokolova of ‘incitement of social hatred'. I am also outraged by the reaction of Mangistau regional authorities who never started investigating the assaults against workers but are instead exerting pressure on them and their families.
I fully support the striking oil-industry workers' lawful claims.
I therefore urge the Mangistau regional authorities, the Internal Affairs Department and the Public Prosecution Office to stop pressure on Karazhanbasmunay JSC and Ozenmunaygaz workers, as well as on Natalya Sokolova personally, and to stop repressions against their families.
I demand that they respect national and international labour laws and the trade union freedom in particular.
I demand that Natalya Sokolova be immediately freed from restraint and from all charges.
I urge the Internal Affairs Department and the Public Prosecution Office to start investigating the assault and battery cases of which union activists were victims and to stop prosecuting union activists.
I urge the companies' management to stop all pressure against the strikers, to fulfill all their claims and reinstate all previously fired oilmen in their jobs.
Arlette Laguiller
Paris, June 27th, 2011