PAME: Solidarity with the striking workers in Kazakhstan

Immediate release of all arrested workers

PAME in its statement denounces the recent persecution and arrests of trade unionists in the oil extracting industry of Kazakhstan charged with the “instigation of social hatred”, “order violation” and “organization of unsanctioned gatherings, assemblies and demonstrations”.

Specifically it highlights that:

“PAME, on behalf of the class trade union movement in Greece, denounces the government of Kazakhstan for the persecution and imprisonments of trade unionists of the oil company “Karazanbasmunai” for the strikes that took place on May and June 2011 in that company. The government has been utilizing the intimidation and suppression in order to implement its anti-people policy that leads the workers to misery.

The strikes in Kazakhstan began on May with the participation that reached 18,000 workers from the oil extraction sector.

The local courts have brought out various decisions declaring the strikes illegal while they are still underway in some sectors of the company. The striking workers demand wage increase, additional salary for the heavy and unhealthy jobs as well as to stop the intervention in the activities of the independent trade union.

After many days of struggle, the workers demanded among others the nationalization of the oil extraction industry.

We denounce the international trade union organization of the sector ΙCEM (International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers' Unions) and of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which not only have not expressed their support to the striking workers in Kazakhstan but also forbade their members to support them.

PAME expresses its class oriented solidarity with the striking workers in Kazakhstan.

We urge the trade unions throughout the world to express their support for the striking workers in Kazakhstan and demand:

-- The release of prisoners and all those arrested

-- The end of the persecution of trade union cadres

-- The acceptance of workers demands.”