The State Labour Inspectorate in Kazakhstan identified more than 2,000 violations in the first quarter of 2026 and secured the protection of the rights of 17,500 workers. At the same time, the number of complaints and inspections increased.
HOW CONTROL HAS BEEN STRENGTHENED
The chairman of the State Labour Inspectorate Committee of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population Meirambek Akhmetov reported that in the first quarter of 2026, 16,726 complaints were reviewed, 1,723 unscheduled inspections were carried out, and 2,065 violations were identified. As a result, 1,110 orders were issued, and the total amount of fines was 136 million tenge.
A decrease in wage arrears of 36% — from 876 million to 554 million tenge was also recorded. The number of workers whose rights were protected increased from 11,000 to 17,500 compared to the same period last year.
The committee reported an expansion of supervisory practice: the number of citizen complaints increased by 70%, preventive inspections increased threefold, and digital monitoring covered 98,000 enterprises.
At the same time, the number of strikes decreased — from 6 to 3 cases, which the department attributes to the intensification of preventive work.
THE QUESTION OF CONTROLLING LARGE ENTERPRISES
The editorial board of FBRK asked a question about the possible selectivity of control — is there a more lenient approach to large employers due to their economic significance.
Akhmetov stated that the approach is the same for everyone, and the requirements of the legislation do not depend on the scale of the business. According to him, large enterprises, as a rule, demonstrate a higher level of compliance with the norms: they have collective agreements, occupational safety services, and established personnel records.
At the same time, he emphasised that the inspectorate also carries out inspections in relation to such companies — if there are complaints or grounds, followed by the issuance of orders and fines.
THE QUESTION OF PREVENTING ACCIDENTS
The second question from FBRK concerned the practice of preventing emergencies — is the system capable of preventing risks before incidents occur.
The head of the committee did not provide specific examples of prevented accidents, but described the current prevention mechanism. According to him, the system includes occupational risk assessment, workplace certification, monitoring of equipment condition, and worker insurance.
In particular, when worn-out or potentially dangerous equipment is identified, the employer is issued an order to replace it or rectify the violations, which should reduce the risk of future incidents.
PREVENTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT
Occupational risk assessment remains one of the key tools. It is reported that 160 such assessments were carried out in the first quarter, based on which specific recommendations were issued to employers.
The committee notes that the main focus is on preventing injuries and creating safe working conditions, rather than only reacting after incidents.