Uzbekistan's State Labor Inspectorate recovered delayed wages for nearly 35,000 employees during January–September of the current year, collecting 832 billion soums from employers in favor of workers. The announcement was made on October 28 at a press conference held at the Content Preparation Center with the participation of the leadership of the Ministry of Poverty Reduction and Employment, according to a Gazeta correspondent.
Key Takeaways: Over the first nine months of the year, delayed wages were recovered for nearly 35,000 workers and 832 billion soums were collected from employers; more than 15,000 inspections were conducted and over 36,000 violations of labor legislation were identified; the total amount of administrative fines imposed reached 22 billion soums.
First Deputy Minister of Poverty Reduction and Employment Marat Juraev said that during the reporting period the inspectorate conducted more than 15,000 inspections and identified over 36,000 violations of labor legislation. In addition, nearly 20,000 appeals were reviewed. The bulk of the violations occurred in the education, construction, industrial and agricultural sectors. Among them were 3,742 cases related to incorrect data entry into the Unified National Labor System, as well as violations of requirements concerning payment of wages, timely training of employees, granting of leave, and compliance with occupational safety briefings.
Written instructions and submissions were issued to employers to eliminate the identified violations. The total amount of administrative fines imposed on officials reached 22 billion soums. At the press conference, journalists also raised the issue of state agency employees being summoned to meetings early in the morning, after the end of the working day, or on weekends. A journalist noted that such situations frequently appear on social media, but that the State Labor Inspectorate has not sufficiently openly expressed its position on the matter.
According to Marat Juraev, over the nine months of the current year administrative liability measures were applied in 15 cases related to involving employees in work beyond working hours. «The labor inspectorate's approach to this issue is strict. Even if information spread on social media is not confirmed during the inspection, but it is established that conditions for such a situation were created, warning letters are sent to regional leaders,» he said. Juraev also reported that separate measures were taken regarding cases of forced labor. In particular, administrative protocols were drawn up against 47 more employers and responsible persons in connection with the forced involvement of teachers and representatives of other professions in landscaping and territory-cleaning work.
Journalists were also interested in which state bodies employ officials held administratively liable. According to Marat Juraev, they include representatives of district and regional khokimiyats, ministries and their territorial departments. As the deputy minister explained, liability for violations of labor legislation is primarily assigned to the employer. In state bodies, in certain cases, employees entrusted with personnel functions, including heads of personnel departments, may also be held liable. Juraev did not disclose in which organizations the fined individuals work.
According to Marat Juraev, the total wage fund in Uzbekistan amounts to 272 trillion soums. He noted that nearly 99% of appeals received by the inspectorate concerning wage recovery relate to business entities. «Cases of delayed wages are practically not observed in the system of state bodies. The main share of appeals relates to business entities. Some entrepreneurs, as a result of financial and economic difficulties, may delay payment of wages to employees or pay less than the established amount,» the deputy minister said. According to him, in such cases employees apply to the labor inspectorate and seek practical assistance in recovering their wages.
Going forward, the inspectorate will continue its work to identify and eliminate violations of labor legislation. The ministry's leadership called on employers to strictly comply with legal requirements and to protect the labor rights of workers. The large number of appeals indicates that financial difficulties persist among business entities, and the inspectorate plans to intensify control and preventive measures.
Source: www.gazeta.uz