Problems of labor protection in Uzbekistan

In recent years, Uzbekistan has made significant progress in protecting the interests, honour and dignity of citizens, as well as in liberalizing the economy and integrating into world markets. Cases of forced and child labor have been successfully eliminated, and freedom of speech, conscience and gender equality are being promoted.

Uzbekistan's economy is multi-sectoral, including coal, mining, non-mining, metallurgical, chemical, oil and gas extraction, oil and gas processing and agro-industrial spheres. In this regard, the task of developing effective mechanisms to protect labor rights and ensure labor safety is becoming increasingly urgent.

Creating safe working conditions that guarantee the life and health of workers is one of the priority areas of the country's socio-economic development. Ensuring safe working environment not only protects the life and health of workers, but also contributes to increasing labor productivity, reducing morbidity and injury rates, as well as improving the quality of life of the population. This is an important direction of socio-economic development of the country, which has many positive effects.

Creating safe working conditions helps to attract investment and business development, as companies that provide safe working conditions attract qualified specialists and reduce the risks of industrial accidents and losses. It also contributes to strengthening the country's image as a reliable and responsible partner in the global arena.

Thus, the creation of safe working conditions is not only an important aspect of the social policy of the Republic of Uzbekistan, but also an important factor of sustainable economic development, which contributes to the prosperity and well-being of the nation. 

The main goal of this system is to transition from responding to cases of occupational injuries and diseases to risk management, with active use of social partnership mechanisms.

Labor protection, as a system of ensuring the life and health of workers during labor activity, is closely interrelated with the socio-economic situation of enterprises.

In the Republic of Uzbekistan, a comprehensive approach and close cooperation with government agencies, such as the Ministry of Employment and Poverty Reduction, are applied to solve problems in the field of labor protection. All necessary measures are being taken to improve the effectiveness of activities in this area, given the acuteness and importance of the problem.

Poor working conditions and prolonged exposure to hazardous production factors are the main cause of occupational diseases. According to the Institute of Sanitation, Hygiene and Occupational Diseases, in 2022, 2,175 cases of occupational diseases were registered in the country, 157 fewer than in the previous year (2,332 cases).

This indicates that despite the decrease in the number of occupational diseases, the problem of poor working conditions and exposure to hazardous production factors is still relevant and requires attention. The decrease in the number of cases can be attributed both to the improvement of working conditions in certain industries and enterprises and to the measures taken to prevent and monitor compliance with occupational safety rules. However, it is necessary to continue efforts in this direction in order to minimize the risk of occupational diseases and ensure safe working conditions for all employees.

According to the report of the Republican Medical Advisory Commission for 2022, the number of patients who passed the medical advisory commission amounted to 2175 people. Among them, 2,027 people had repeated occupational diseases, and 1,096 people were recognized as permanently disabled.

148 people were submitted to the medical advisory commission, of whom 116 were initially recognized as having occupational diseases.

Poor working conditions and exposure to hazardous production factors can adversely affect the health of employees and lead to occupational diseases. This can lead to decreased productivity, increased health care and workers' compensation costs, and an overall deterioration in the quality of the country's labor force. In addition, an increase in the number of occupational diseases may cause public dissatisfaction and require additional measures to improve working conditions and safety at workplaces.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) develops and recommends international standards and conventions on occupational safety and health that states can ratify and implement in their legislation. These standards include recommendations on staff training, adherence to safety and health standards in the workplace, and monitoring and control of working conditions.

Figure 1: Occupational accidents in Uzbekistan.

156 (164) people were injured and temporarily disabled, of which 40 (49) were killed, 100 (91) were seriously injured and 16 (24) were slightly injured.

Figure 2: Outcome of accidents for 9 months of 2023 in Uzbekistan.

The report on occupational accidents for the first 9 months of 2023 reflects a depressing statistic: 42 people were injured. Among them, 15 cases occurred as a result of group accidents, which emphasizes the significance and potential danger of unfavorable working conditions. Among the injured, 16 people suffered minor injuries, however, despite the initial characterization, 8 cases with a mild outcome indicate the seriousness of even such traumatic situations.

Of particular concern is the fact that 100 people were seriously injured, of which 84 cases ended in serious complications. These statistics indicate serious safety problems in the workplace. Due to inadequate protection and control of the work environment, 40 fatalities occurred, emphasizing the urgent need to improve safety measures and prevent similar tragedies in the future. It is likely that the causes of these accidents may be related to inadequate training of workers, improper use of equipment, and violations of safety and production regulations. The following are recommendations for preventing such accidents.

Figure 3. The number of accident victims

These data emphasize the importance of additional measures to ensure occupational safety and health protection of workers in these regions of the Republic of Uzbekistan, where there is an increase in occupational injuries. These areas may require increased monitoring of compliance with safety regulations, safety training of personnel, and the introduction of additional accident prevention measures.

On the other hand, the decrease in occupational injury rates in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Jizzakh and Namangan regions indicates that the measures taken to improve labor conditions and safety are beginning to yield positive results. These regions may have already implemented effective occupational health and safety programs and staff training, which has led to a reduction in the risk of occupational accidents.

It is important to keep in mind that effective occupational safety measures should not only be implemented, but also continuously improved and monitored. This requires regular audits and risk assessments of companies, as well as the analysis of accident data to identify and eliminate causes.

However, successful results in overcoming occupational injuries are only achieved with the active participation of all stakeholders, including employers, employees, labor collectives, government agencies and public organizations. Joint efforts and cooperation of all parties will help to create an effective occupational safety system that will contribute to improving working conditions and reducing the risk of occupational accidents.

Figure 4. The number of victims of accidents by industry

The highest increase in occupational injuries is observed in the aviation, metallurgy, machine-building, and health care sectors.

The sectors of information technology and mass communications, as well as railway and transportation construction workers have seen a significant decrease in occupational injuries. This can be attributed to various factors, such as improvements in technology and equipment, better safety and control systems, as well as improved personnel qualifications and the introduction of preventive measures.

Causes of accidents for the first 9 months of 2023 include:

-    25 cases of exposure to equipment, devices, and miscellaneous items;

-    15 cases of electrical shock;

-    12 cases of falls;

-    23 cases of falls from heights;

-    15 cases of motor vehicle accidents;

-    4 cases of burns;

-    7 cases of falling of various objects from height;

-    1 case of drowning in water;

-    2 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.

A number of measures are recommended to prevent accidents at work:

• Education and training: Employees should receive health and safety training so that they are aware of potential hazards in their workplace and know what to do in case of accidents.
• Compliance with policies and procedures: Employers are required to strictly enforce safety rules and procedures for operating equipment. This includes regularly inspecting equipment, correcting identified deficiencies, and ensuring access to necessary safety equipment.
• Safety culture: Fostering a safety culture where every employee recognizes their responsibility for their own and others' safety plays a key role in preventing accidents. This includes encouraging open discussion of safety issues, sharing experiences and information on safe working practices.
• Analysis and improvement: Regular analysis of accidents and their causes helps to identify weaknesses in the safety system and take measures to address them. Adoption of new technologies and practices to improve safety is also an important step in this direction.
• Cooperation and feedback: It is important that employers, trade unions and workers cooperate on safety issues and share information about emerging hazards. Feedback from workers on working conditions and safety also helps to identify areas of concern and take action to improve them.

In 2023, a significant event took place in Uzbekistan in the formation of a new legislative foundation aimed at protecting the interests of society and working citizens. On April 30, 2023, the improved Labor Code, which has been significantly expanded to include 7 sections, 34 chapters and 581 articles, came into force.

One of the main purposes of the Code is to establish State guarantees of workers' labor rights and freedoms, including the right to work, free choice of employment, fair and safe working conditions and protection against unemployment.

Labor legislation defines the right of workers to safe and hygienic working conditions and to receive full information about these conditions in the workplace. The employer is responsible for ensuring safety and compliance of working conditions with labor protection standards. He is also obliged to provide the employee with work in accordance with his labor duties, to pay wages in a timely manner, and to ensure working conditions established by law and the labor contract.

Summing up, we can see that effective implementation of labor protection requirements at the level of the Republic of Uzbekistan as a whole, as well as at the level of individual enterprises, can be successfully achieved only by applying a systematic approach and active participation of social partners in the continuous process of labor protection, monitoring its effectiveness, as well as making adjustments and improvements.

Investing in occupational safety and health to achieve sustainable development is also playing an important role in this - investment in occupational safety and health is increasingly recognized - and this is clearly seen in many regions of the world, where steady improvements in occupational safety and health have been noted.

But at the same time, serious problems remain in this area, and this is especially true in developing countries, notes the ILO, which are also observed in the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan, namely:

• insufficient knowledge and understanding of occupational hazards and risks and the need to create safe and healthy workplaces;
• lack of capacity and capability to prevent, comply with and enforce occupational safety and health standards, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises;
• insufficient and incomplete data (also not timely notification to staff) on employment-related deaths, injuries and illnesses and their implications for sustainable development;
• insufficient financial means to ensure occupational safety and health;
• non-compliance with the laws, regulations and policies on occupational safety and health of the Republic of Uzbekistan.

A significant cultural shift is needed to overcome these challenges, which some international occupational safety and health experts describe as a "vicious circle of neglect". A comprehensive, strategic approach is needed that promotes a culture of prevention and ensures decent working conditions to reduce the number of work-related deaths, injuries and illnesses.