Kazakhstan: No Harassment of Kyrgyz Workers in Kazakh Tobacco Plantations - Paper

Source from:  B&W NewsReal BBC Monitoring Central Asia  08/17/2004

The conditions of Kyrgyz tobacco growers legally working in Kazakh plantations are "normal" although there have been critical articles in the press, an article published in the Kazakh newspaper Kazakhstanskaya Pravda says. These workers can earn up to 1,000 dollars a season if they grow good tobacco, the article says. But those without proper documentation cannot even count on minimum legal protection in Kazakhstan, it says. The following is the text of the article by Aleksey Petrovskiy, published by Kazakhstanskaya Pravda on 3 August; subheads were inserted editorially: A group of Kyrgyz journalists numbering 12 have visited tobacco plantations of Yenbekshikazakh District [Almaty Region]. They came to visit their fellow countrymen growing tobacco in the Shelek [transliterated] area. Naturally, they were not able to talk to each of them as there are 3,115 people working here this year. These people came here legally - in accordance with the quota, and they went to employment agencies to draw up the necessary documents, including an important one - a contract with the employer - a local farmer. The contract specifies all the details of relations between the two sides. In the village of Levar, Kyrgyz and Kazakh journalists held a meeting at the Mardan Badakhov farm with hired workers from Osh Region [Kyrgyzstan], Begali Osambayev and Amat Suleymanov. They came to Mardan for the fifth year in a row together with their wives and children. "In the past when visits for work were impromptu, some of our compatriots had some conflicts over pay. At present, when contracts are concluded, any problem can be resolved through the local administration or court," said Amat Suleymanov, who is a teacher by profession (doctors, engineers and agronomists come here). Conditions of workers from Kyrgyzstan Tobacco growers from Kyrgyzstan are living in normal conditions (we visited many farms). Every month, the employer has to pay each worker 6,600 tenge (about 50 dollars) in advance - this is our minimum salary. For one season, each hired worker can receive about 1,000 dollars if they grow good tobacco. By the Kyrgyz standards, that is an enormous amount for one season. That is why there is an endless stream of Kyrgyz citizens willing to work here despite critical articles on some unlucky persons' pay. Last year when the use of foreign workforce was not regulated (a system is being put in place for three years now), the number of Kyrgyz citizens in plantations of the district was 7,000 - 8,000. Now there are hiring agencies in Shelek. They are engaged in movement of labour on a legal basis. And there are organizations in Kyrgyzstan which select workers and hire and send them. As all this work is monitored by migration police, conditions for conflict seem to have been eliminated. But misunderstandings arise. A worker can take 1,000 dollars to Kyrgyzstan in the autumn only in the event that he grows good tobacco and that its cutting, tying, drying and selection are carried out to a high standard. All this is possible if the tobacco grower from Kyrgyzstan works conscientiously. Statistics Regrettably, Kyrgyz organizations which hire people quite often act according to the principle "Just recruit someone". Quite often those who think that one can make good money in Kazakhstan, just lying under a cane awning at a tobacco field, come here. Then conflicts arise. Kazakh farmers' requirements are: not just about anybody but tobacco growers should come. The thing is that Kyrgyzstan has been producing this product for a long time. According to information from the journalists who visited us, that country produces 40,000 tonnes of tobacco leaves a year. This is three times the amount Kazakhstan produces. It is true that the quality of the tobacco is not high, and so its price is not high either. Our tobacco growers - about 18,000 peasants of Yenbekshikazakh District are working alongside 3,000 Kyrgyz workers in tobacco plantations - work to world standards and produce a quality product, already known far abroad [outside the CIS]. The agroservice network monitors the work of the farmers and provides expert advice. The farmers conclude contracts with those processing their raw material, allowing for all agrotechnical measures to be carried out. Banks grant loans for such contracts. Illegal migration and complaints Returning to the problem of foreign workforce, it should be noted that it is created in most cases by those who come and get a job illegally, going around the existing regulations. Already 115 such persons have been identified so far this year. They say the number of such people is actually six times more than that. As a rule, these are people not prepared for hard work on tobacco and misinformed by illegal recruiters in Kyrgyzstan, and quite often those without documents. Naturally such workers have to run for cover when police arrive and cannot even count on minimum legal protection. Then everything is based on a verbal agreement and loose interpretation of the rights and duties of both the farmer and the hired worker. They make complaints, and when they go back to their homeland, paint a gloomy picture of work on tobacco in Shelek. I learned from conversations with the Kyrgyz journalists that not even a simple inquiry, such as a phone call to Yenbekshikazakh District, preceded any articles, radio and television reports [on Kyrgyz people working on Kazakh plantations], not to mention a visit to the area for a meeting with those "offending" Kyrgyz peasants. Naturally, our colleagues found no slavery on the tobacco plantations. And they promised to be stricter with those making such allegations. Representatives from migration police, employment agencies, the labour department, the health department, the heads of those rural areas where tobacco is produced, farmers and the deputy head of the district, Vladimir Lysenko, came to attend the meeting with us. A shortage of workers Vladimir Petrovich [Lysenko] emphasized: The use of foreign workforce is because this large district with a population of 204,000 is experiencing a shortage of workers. The district has 3,500 hectares of vineyards and six wine-making factories, large gardens, and vegetable plantations have increased following the commissioning of big processing facilities. The scale of development of animal husbandry in the district can be judged by the fact that there are 2,500 camels in the district. There is no extra workforce in the neighbouring districts where economic growth is observed. And so this district cannot do without foreign workforce. The process of its attraction is regulated and is being improved. Even the ambassadors of the two countries [Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan] are taking part in it, not to mention farmers, the heads of areas, employment agencies and healthcare establishments. As far as the latter are concerned, the chief doctor of the Shelek hospital, Zhakyp Zheleu, presented these unusual facts: Over the first half of this year, 154 workers from Kyrgyzstan were taken to hospital, 27 had an operation, 65 women gave birth. Over the whole of last year, there were only 80 women in childbirth, and so the year 2004 will be more productive in terms of new-born babies. And at the same time, pregnant women are forbidden to work on tobacco. A Kazakh journalist said that one got the impression that some Kyrgyz workers came to Kazakh tobacco plantations in order to undergo a short course of treatment. Already 2.7m tenge [about 20,000 dollars] has been spent on this. It would be logical for those coming here for work to present a comprehensive medical certificate. But the Kyrgyz side is against this. As those coming here for work from, say the USA, present just a document stating that they do not have HIV, the same rule should apply to Kyrgyz citizens. Vladimir Lysenko, deputy head of Yenbekshikazakh District, told journalists: "Labour exchange is used around the world, but in Central Asia we are clearly pioneers. Difficulties and disagreements in this area, which had no legislative base before, are inevitable. The number of conflicts are falling with every passing year. Services of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan are helping us. And journalists can do a lot if they objectively report on this important work and not pursue stories smacking of gutter journalism. Enditem