How Law and Riot Police Work Against Elorda Eco System Workers

Мақаланы қазақша осы жерден оқыңыз. Читать статью на русском языке здесь.

The recent events in Astana surrounding the state-owned enterprise "Elorda Eco System" are more than just a labor dispute. They are a stark demonstration of how Kazakhstan’s updated Constitution and laws create the perfect conditions for exploitation. While management slashes bonuses, police pack workers into vans, utilizing "legal loopholes" within the reformed system to suppress dissent.

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The Economy of Pillage: From 500k to 50k

The situation described by Sina Ishimova — the daughter of one of the arrested workers—is typical for the public sector. Since the appointment of the new director, Beibit Bolatuly Javarov, the company’s financial policy has shifted drastically:

• Bonuses as a Lever of Control: Where workers previously expected bonuses equivalent to a full salary (~250,000 KZT), they have now been dropped to a humiliating 50,000 KZT. The peak bonuses of 500,000 KZT are a thing of the past—a one-time PR move to create an illusion of prosperity.
• Overtime Theft: Shifts last 11 hours, yet extra hours go unpaid. This is pure exploitation, where budget funds are "optimized" by management instead of reaching the people maintaining the capital's drainage systems in harsh conditions.
• The System’s Response: Financial Director Aigul Shildebaeva bluntly stated: "We pay what we are given [from the budget]." This is a convenient shield—dodging accountability by blaming the City Administration (Akimat) for "withholding funds."

Constitutional Loopholes: Why Protest Became a "Crime"

The updated Constitution, marketed as a step toward justice, has instead solidified mechanisms for crushing grassroots resistance.

1. The "Legal Methods" Trap (Art. 24): The Constitution formally recognizes the right to strike but adds a critical caveat: "using methods established by law." In practice, Kazakhstan’s Labor Code makes a legal strike a bureaucratic impossibility. Any spontaneous walkout is automatically labeled "illegal."
2. The "Resources Belong to the People via the State" Loophole (Art. 6): The phrasing that resources belong to the people but are managed by the state gives officials a free hand. They treat the "Elorda Eco System" budget like a private shop, viewing workers not as "owners of the resources" but as disposable assets.
3. Administrative Terror (Art. 32): Instead of a dialogue on wages, the authorities invoke the charge of "disobeying police orders." It is a universal tool to silence dissent. Out of 60 detainees, 15 received actual prison sentences.

Names of the Repressed

We must know the names of those currently in detention centers for attempting to defend their livelihoods:

• Sentenced to 10 days: Koishybay Kamalov, Yerzhan Amzin, Yerik Dametov, Bekbolat Mukatov.
• Sentenced to 5 days: Nasredin Alibaev, Kaydar Iskakov, Kaster Abilashim, Miram Taskynbay.
• Awaiting trial: Muratuly Bektursyn, Abilov Khanzhar, Tyulebiev Murabek, Rakhimov Ramazan, Dzhabbarov Umrbek, Zhurymbaev Aydos, Omarov Sabit, Zhaksylykov Narman, Kalbekov Zharylkasyn, Seksenbaev Abzal, and Baspakov Nurlan.

Among the arrested is Sina Ishimova’s father, a man with hypertension who has worked for the company since its founding. For the system, his health and years of service mean nothing compared to Director Javarov’s peace of mind. Several protesters have already been cynically fired.

What Is to Be Done? Solidarity Over Complaints

Hoping for a "Listening State" is futile—it has already answered with batons. The only path forward is direct pressure and publicity.

• Digital Blockade: Leave reviews for "Elorda Eco System" (Zhetigen 24, Astana) on 2GIS and Google Maps. Let everyone see that this company arrests its workers for asking for overtime pay.
• Spread the Word: Share Sina Ishimova’s story. Journalists and the international community must know: in Astana, drainage workers are being fired and jailed because they refuse to work for free.

The bottom line is simple: The Constitution in its current form protects the official in the office, not the worker in the sewer. If the right to a decent life cannot be realized through the law, then that law was written against the people.