Labor energy: ILO specialist visited AlES

In the Year of Working Professions, Kazakhstan was visited by the chief specialist in the activities of workers of the Bureau of the International Labor Organization (ILO) for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Gocha Alexandria. During the visit, he visited AlES JSC, where he met with members of the trade union of labor collectives CHPP-2 named after A.Zhakutov and PRP Energoremont, examined a number of social facilities of the station.

As noted in the NGO “Local Trade Union “Energy”, during the meeting, Mr.Alexandria spoke about the history and activities of the organization, and also recalled the 10 main conventions of the ILO – a specialized UN agency. These 10 Conventions form the foundation of international labor policy, regulate the basic rights of workers and include provisions on freedom of association, collective bargaining, forced labour, the elimination of child labour and non-discrimination.

Thus, the most important of the conventions – from 1958 – prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religion, political beliefs and other categories. Another, earlier – from 1949 – “On the application of the principles of the right to organize and collective bargaining” – protects workers from interference in their right to form organizations and contributes to the development of collective bargaining. The Equal Remuneration of Men and Women for Work of Equal Value Convention 1951 establishes the principle of equal pay for work of equal value.

In turn, representatives of the Energia trade union introduced the guest to the Collective Agreement in force at AlES JSC. This document – in the first edition – was signed in early 2007 – in fact, since the beginning of the activities of Almaty Electric Stations JSC. Since that time, the parties to the social partnership – the employer and employees, represented by their permanent representative – the Local Trade Union Energia – have concluded 8 editions of the Collective Agreement.

“All these years, the parties have certainly observed the principle of non-deterioration of the position of workers not only in comparison with the labor legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan, general, sectoral and regional agreements, but also with the terms of previously concluded versions of the Collective Agreement,” said the head of the trade union CHPP-2 named after A.Zhakutov – Gulya Zhakayeva.

The current eighth edition of the “Collective Agreement for 2025-2028” was adopted by the bilateral commission and entered into force on July 1, 2025. The commission is formed on a parity basis from representatives of employees – and these are 8 chairmen of trade union committees of structural divisions of AlES JSC and representatives of the employer – as well as 8 managers in areas of activity headed by Chairman of the Management Board Yerik Mashirov. The document passed the monitoring and registration procedure at the KSU “Department of Labor Inspection of the city of Almaty.”

The new edition of the contract contains a number of new norms that improve the situation of workers in comparison not only with the previous edition of the contract, but also with the labor legislation of Kazakhstan, general, sectoral and regional agreements. At the same time, the total amount of costs for the implementation of amendments and additions to the Collective Agreement, improving labor relations, will exceed 400 million tenge on an annualized basis for AlES JSC.

Power engineers can be proud of their Collective Bargaining Agreement, which has been repeatedly noted as one of the best in Kazakhstan. But it is even more important that this is a valid document, within the framework of which there are real improvements in working conditions and social support at AlES JSC. This was also noted during a meeting with a representative of the ILO. The company is in full swing landscaping of social facilities at all production facilities of the company: work canteens, cabins, sanitary facilities, sports grounds are being built or improved. The total area of repairs exceeded 21 thousand square meters. m. ILO chief specialist Gocha Alexandria was also able to inspect a number of updated premises and buildings.

He was also told about the pilot project launched at the beginning of the year to provide hot meals to employees of AlES. The total amount of allocated funds for these purposes exceeded 853 million tenge. Within the framework of the pilot project, 2,548 employees of the planned 2,873 people have already been provided with free meals.

The company has developed and is implementing a regulation on material incentives, compensation, social and health-improving support for personnel. In 2025, a mechanism was launched to provide families of power engineers with housing. In October 2025, after passing all the formalities and stages, 38 apartments were purchased for the company’s power engineers. This allows not only solving the problem of providing families with housing, but also secures personnel in the company. An equally important aspect is caring for the professional growth of young professionals. The guest was also told about a multi-stage training program, advanced training of personnel. For this purpose, its own personnel training center was created, contracts were concluded with specialized educational institutions.

For three quarters of the year, 6531 employees were trained. Of these, 2190 people underwent vocational training, 4341 people improved their qualifications in external organizations.

As noted in the company, the ILO representative was able to make his own impression on the implementation of the policy of labor protection and observance of the rights of workers both during his visit to the CHPP-2 named after A.Zhakutov and during a meeting with power engineers. Saying goodbye, Mr.Alexandria, noted that a person should not work in dangerous and harmful working conditions, and the AlES did a great job to create all the conditions for safe work and recreation of personnel.