Trade Union of UMP JSC: results and plans

In 2022, it will be 72 years since the founding of the trade union organization of UMP JSC. On the eve of the birthday, we talked about the work of the trade union with Alexei Feoktistov, its chairman.

– Alexey Vladimirovich, what was the past year like for your organization?

– 2021 for the trade union organization, like for many, turned out to be difficult due to the pandemic. In addition to the situation itself, which was, of course, difficult, unfortunately, due to illness, we lost our colleague and comrade-in-arms – Sayn Serikbaevich Ilyasov. This is a huge loss that will never be replenished.

If we talk about the achievements of recent years, then, as everyone knows, since January 2020, the plant began to pay health benefits for vacation pay. In terms of these payments, a lot of work has been done, including by the trade union committee.

Well, last year a lot of work was done to conclude the Industry Agreement. This agreement is between the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, employers – enterprises of the nuclear industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the public association «Industrial Union of Nuclear Industry Workers». The document is valid for 2021-2023. I, as the chairman of a large organization, was a member of the commission.

– What proposals were initiated by the trade union of the plant?

– Our most important proposal, which was approved by the trade union organizations of the industry and, through negotiations, was included in the Industry Agreement, is paragraph 51. It reads: diseases that led to disability to the injured employee or persons entitled to this in the event of the death of the employee, in order to compensate for moral damage, the Employer pays a one-time allowance in excess of the one provided for by the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the amount and in the manner provided for by the Collective Agreement.

In simple terms, this is a payment made by the employer in addition to the allowance guaranteed by the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan. After the signing of the Industry Agreement, a commission was created to develop a draft Collective Agreement, and at UMP the amount of this payment was determined in the amount of one annual salary of an employee. I cannot fail to note that the initiator of this payment was Sayn Serikbayevich.

– What other items are included in the Industry Agreement?

– Another point, already proposed by me, says that when developing, introducing, changing the existing systems of remuneration, a decrease in the achieved level of wages is not allowed. And this applies to our entire industry. Thus, we received guarantees for employees in the field of wages.

– And how is the work on the Collective Agreement of our plant going?

– Work on the draft Collective Agreement of UMP JSC for 2022-2025 has now been completed. It has been sent to the divisions where members of the trade union should discuss, express their opinion and send us the minutes. I want to emphasize once again that only members of the trade union can initiate changes to the Collective Agreement.

– Tell us more about the activities of the trade union today.

– The activities of the trade union organization are carried out in several directions. The main ones are: cultural and mass work, labor protection, labor and wages, a collective agreement, housing and living problems, public control over the nutrition of workers, physical education and sports at the enterprise.

The direct purpose of the trade union is to defend the rights and interests of workers. Many employees enjoy the benefits achieved by the union in negotiations with the plant management. Raising wages, paying health benefits – this is our considerable merit. Although some factory workers still mistakenly assume that the trade union is like in Soviet times – the distribution of gifts...

– How does the trade union organization of UMP JSC interact with the employer?

– Now the plant has a favorable situation, when the trade union organization fruitfully interacts with the employer. We can agree and come to a unified decision on almost any issue. Let's say that recently we quickly resolved the issue of a bus for employees living in the far region of the city. By the way, I want to personally thank Ainura Kainazarova, the chairman of the trade union committee of the scientific center for this. She made the timing of the bus, and they started to let it out on the route a little earlier.

Not a single appeal of workers – members of the trade union, is left without attention. Suppose, during the repair of the canteen at the northern entrance, a bus was launched to deliver workers to building 600 of the Uranium division with four stops to the canteen at the southern entrance.

Of course, there are also problems. There were many complaints about the medical examination. I had to meet and talk with representatives of medical institutions. If the work continues at the same level, then, I think, we will improve medical care and other currently problematic services.

– What global changes can the trade union initiate in the near future?

– In 2020-2021, there were many meetings with the head of the trade union organization of the region and the Industry Trade Union regarding changes and additions to the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This is mainly about three laws – on pensions, the Labor Code and the Law on Trade Unions. Regarding the last law, we made proposals in terms of strengthening the positions of the trade union and protecting its members. According to the Labor Code, this is a series of issues that relate to the distribution of the Collective Agreement, working hours, shift methods and remote work. On pensions, and this issue is now at the forefront – we have petitioned to lower the threshold for reaching the retirement age for workers employed in harmful and dangerous working conditions. All these issues are now being considered at the highest level.

– What are the problems facing the trade union organization of the plant today?

– As I said, mutual understanding has been found with the management of the plant. We solve issues. There is only one problem – a decrease in the number of trade union members at the enterprise. Today it makes 52%. If this percentage falls, then we will not have the right to represent the interests of workers. What does this mean for the workers themselves? There simply will not be any benefits beyond the norms of the law. Therefore, I always actively urge factory workers to join the trade union!

In November 2021 Aleksey Feoktistov was awarded the medal «For a significant contribution to the development of the trade union movement of the Republic of Kazakhstan.»

By Alexey Proskuryakov