Social partnership in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
In countries with economies in transition, supporting and strengthening social dialogue is of particular importance. Social partnership (tripartism) is an essential tool for coordinating interests between the government, employers, and workers ' organizations that represent key members of society.
Trilateral cooperation is a socio-political mechanism for regulating relations based on the principle of equal negotiations, reaching a compromise between government officials, employers, trade unions, and preventing social conflicts.it is the basis of the social mechanism for regulating social and labor relations.
The civilized development of the social partnership system in Kazakhstan began in 1994 on the basis of the Decree "on social partnership in the field of socio-economic and labor relations"adopted by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
This decree defined the annual conclusion of a General agreement between the Government, Republican associations of employees and Republican associations of employers; the conclusion of sectoral agreements between ministries, trade unions and employers of the relevant industry, and regional agreements between local Executive authorities, associations of employees and employers.
The issues of employment, remuneration, social guarantees for citizens and social protection of the most vulnerable groups of the population were identified as priority areas of negotiations.
Thanks to this Decree, a multi-level system of collective and contractual regulation of labor relations was initiated in the Republic: state – industry - regions – enterprises.
The decree marked the beginning of the development of the regulatory framework for trilateral cooperation in the Republic. Today, Kazakhstan has created a regulatory framework that regulates social partnership.
With the adoption of the law "on social partnership in the Republic of Kazakhstan", and subsequently the Labor Codes, social dialogue has acquired the status of an institutional mechanism for consultations and negotiations between representatives of the Government, workers and employers.
Kazakhstan is one of the first countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States to adopt a law on social partnership.
Currently, social partnership bodies operate at the national, regional and sectoral levels in Kazakhstan (article 147 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
The parties to the social partnership are working hard to develop social dialogue at all levels of trilateral cooperation.
The Republican tripartite Commission on social partnership and regulation of social and labor relations functions under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Republican trilateral Commission (RTC) is the highest Advisory body that operates in the form of:
- meetings of representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republican associations of employees and Republican associations of employers;
-meetings of RTC working groups;
- consultations, collective negotiations, coordination of the Parties ' positions on the main directions of social and labor and related economic relations.
RTC meetings address the most pressing issues in the field of labor and social development.
The main parties to social partnership at the national level are authorized representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republican associations of employees and Republican associations of employers (article 148 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
Republican associations of workers in the Republic of Kazakhstan are represented by the Federation of trade unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan Confederation of labor, the Republican Association of trade unions "Commonwealth of trade unions of Kazakhstan "Amanat" with the main goal - to protect the interests of workers.
Republican associations of employers represent: The national chamber of entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan "Atameken" And the Confederation of employers of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The main goals and objectives of associations of employers and employees are: representation in state bodies, public and other organizations, including foreign ones;
practical and consulting assistance of legal, economic, organizational and managerial nature to members of their associations.
Every year at the national level social partners hold consultations and negotiations on the conclusion of the General agreement,
According to this document, the Government, employers and trade unions define agreed positions and obligations on the basic principles of regulating social and labor relations at the national level.
On January 31, 2018, The parties to the social partnership signed a General agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Republican associations of employees and Republican associations of employers for 2018-2020.
The General agreement includes the most pressing issues: creating new jobs, reducing unemployment, improving the wage system, labor safety and security, reducing poverty, and protecting the domestic market.
In the development agreement adopted by social partners Federation of trade unions, the Confederation of labour of Kazakhstan, Confederation of free trade unions of Kazakhstan, national chamber of entrepreneurs and industry associations of employers (further – the parties).
The General agreement is the main document of social partnership that sets priorities in the following areas of joint activity of the parties:
employment;
increased productivity;
the sphere of social security and the development of social partnership.