In countries with economies in transition, supporting and strengthening social dialogue is of particular importance. Social partnership (tripartism) is the most important tool for reconciling interests between the government, employers and workers' organizations, which represent key members of society.
Triangular 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, preventing social conflicts and forms the basis of the public 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 Resolution "On Social Partnership in the Field of Social, Economic and Labor Relations" adopted by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
This resolution determined the annual conclusion of the General Agreement between the Government, republican associations of workers and republican associations of employers; conclusion of industry agreements between ministries, industry associations of trade unions and employers of the relevant industry and regional agreements between local executive authorities, associations of workers and employers.
The issues of employment, wages, social guarantees to citizens and social protection of the most vulnerable groups of the population were set as priority areas for negotiations.
Thanks to this Decree, a multilevel system of collective bargaining regulation of labor relations was laid in the republic: the state - industry - regions - enterprises.
The decree laid the foundation for the development of the regulatory framework for trilateral cooperation in the republic. Today, Kazakhstan has created a regulatory legal framework governing social partnership.
With the adoption of the law "On Social Partnership in the Republic of Kazakhstan", and subsequently the Labor Codes, social dialogue 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 states among the countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States to adopt a law on social partnership.
Currently, at the republican, regional and sectoral levels in Kazakhstan there are bodies of social partnership (Article 147 of the Labor Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan).
The parties to the social partnership are doing a lot of work to develop social dialogue at all levels of triangular cooperation.
Under the chairmanship of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, there is a republican tripartite commission on social partnership and the regulation of social and labor relations. The Republican Tripartite Commission (RTK) - the highest advisory body, carries out its activities in the form of:
- Meetings of representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, republican associations of workers and republican associations of employers;
- Meetings of RTK working groups;
- Consultations, collective bargaining, coordination of the positions of the Parties in the main areas of social and labor and related economic relations.
The RTK meetings address the most pressing issues in the field of labor and social development.
The main parties to social partnership at the republican level are authorized representatives of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan, republican associations of workers 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 "The Union of Trade Unions of Kazakhstan" Amanat "with the main goal - to protect the interests of workers.
Republican associations of employers are represented by the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan “Atameken” and the Confederation of Employers of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The main goals and objectives of the activities of associations of employers and workers are: to represent in state bodies, public and other organizations, including foreign ones;
practical and consulting assistance of a legal, economic, organizational and managerial nature to members of their associations.
Every year, at the republican level, social partners hold consultations and negotiations on the conclusion of a General Agreement,
According to this document, the Government, employers and trade unions determine the agreed positions and obligations according to the basic principles of regulation of social and labor relations at the republican 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 workers 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, protecting the domestic market.
Social partners - the Federation of Trade Unions, the Confederation of Labor of Kazakhstan, the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Kazakhstan, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs and industry associations of employers (hereinafter referred to as the parties) took part in the development of the agreement.
The General Agreement is the main document of social partnership, establishing priority areas in the following areas of joint activities of the parties:
employment;
increase in labor productivity;
social security and development of social partnership.