Kazakhstan: Excluded oil services personnel, continuing their strike, face termination by the company
A western Kazakhstan oil industry services company has taken a hardline stance against striking employees. West Oil Software booted out 11 workers who have been picketing for higher pay since mid-December, as promised in a chilling ultimatum back in early January.
The company’s actions came after claims of financial damage approximating $1.1 million due to the month-long industrial action. However, West Oil Software claims that not only its own financial health, but the domestic budgets of striking workers, are bearing the brunt of the unrest.
West Oil Software asserts that efforts for mediation have been foiled by a handful of turbulent activists. The company seems to put the blame on these activists for blocking the path towards easing tensions.
Launched in December, the strike initially involved around 500 workers calling for placement in subsidiaries of the state oil and gas company, KazMunaiGas, so they could secure higher wages. They complain of earning below $1,000, while the company claims double that amount.
It seems that a majority of the protestors, around 50, have since returned to work after the threats.
A petition from more West Oil Software workers was submitted to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on January 13, appealing to him to intervene and alleviate the pressure they've been facing.
A striker, Askerbek Abishev, confided in news site Vlast that his family members, working in the public sector, have been threatened with dismissal due to his involvement in the standoff.
Employees who were laid off during earlier rounds of dismissals have been summoned for police questioning as witnesses in a criminal investigation into illegal picketing, the strikers revealed to journalists.
The ongoing industrial action was deemed illegal by the Mangystau regional court on December 11, paving the way for West Oil Software to terminate the contracts of 26 protesting workers shortly after the strike commenced.
In the recent oil industry landscape of Kazakhstan, there have been other incidents affecting exports[1] and workplace incidents such as an oilfield explosion[3]. However, it's worth noting that there's no direct link or update about West Oil Software in these news reports. The present situation might require seeking first-hand information from the company itself.
- The financial strain from the oil industry strike at West Oil Software has reportedly extended beyond the company, with domestic budgets of striking workers often affected as well.
- In response to the ongoing oil-and-gas industry dispute, West Oil Software has accused a few agitators of hindering mediation efforts and stalling the resolution to the crisis.
- As the Western Kazakhstan oil industry faces scrutiny over recent labor unrest, West Oil Software's actions against its employees have raised concerns in the finance sector about potential negative impacts on business and industry relations.
