A scandal has erupted at the national company 'Kazakhtelecom': employees have complained about unfair bonuses for top management, the humiliation of staff, and serious violations within the workforce.
Journalist Denis Krivosheev published the employees' appeal on his Facebook page. According to them, revenue bonuses are awarded exclusively to management, while the ordinary workers who keep the company running receive nothing.
The published documents include a payslip for the Managing Director of Human Resources, a member of the company's board: she was awarded 22 million tenge in a single tranche alone, with a total annual income of more than 50 million tenge.
It is reported that against this backdrop, mass redundancies are underway in the regions: employees of pre-retirement age are being laid off, while specialists with many years of experience continue to work for 120–160 thousand tenge.
"These people have given the company their health, their youth, and the best years of their lives. They work not for money or glory, but out of patriotism and dedication to their profession. For comparison — street cleaners earn twice as much. Imagine: in rain, snow, and wind, people work on the poles for a pittance, while top management doesn't even consider indexing salaries," the statement reads.
The workers claim that in the head office, new departments are being created 'for their own people,' where staff are hired with inflated salaries, while regional branches have gone without renovations for decades. It is reported that employees work in unsanitary conditions and use unsafe vehicles.
The appeal contains allegations of abuse in the Project Management Directorate (PMD), where projects worth billions of tenge are allegedly channelled through the same Bastau LLP. The directorate is headed by Gaziz Donenbai, whom employees describe as being close to the management.
The managers' dismissive attitude towards the staff is also highlighted. For instance, one top manager reportedly smoked in her office during a video conference.
The situation is compounded by rumours of the transfer of Kazakhtelecom's staff and assets to AuyleTelecom LLP, which employees fear could lead to a sell-off. The workers are asking the public and regulatory authorities to intervene and restore fairness.
Meanwhile, dissatisfaction is also growing over the quality of the company's services. For example, on 30 September, during the match between Real Madrid and Kairat, viewers widely complained about disruptions to the broadcast. For the public, this served as a clear confirmation: while Kazakhtelecom's top managers receive multi-million bonuses, the company itself cannot handle its basic responsibilities.