Kazajstán - Independent union denied registration

The Kazakh authorities refused to register the Confederation of Free Trade Unions of Kazakhstan (CFTUK), an alternative to the state-run federation of “yellow” unions, on 25 May 2015. The refusal to register the CFTUK, based on a number of arguments concerning the charter of the organisation, demonstrated how the legislation can be used to make it difficult for unions to gain recognition, and came at a time when the government’s attitude to the unions was becoming increasingly restrictive.