'Our Only Chance': Workers Of Kazakh Railway Company Go On Strike, 11 December 2020

Workers of a Kazakh railway company linked to the copper mining giant KazakhMys have gone on strike to demand pay raises and improved work conditions.

Some 300 workers gathered in front of the administrative building of their employer, Tranco Zhezqazghan, in the city of Zhezqazghan in the central Qaraghandy region on December 11, saying that they had to take action after their previous demands had not been met...

Another worker, who introduced himself as Artur, told RFE/RL that due to the dilapidated state of the rails, trains often derail and that all expenditures linked to delays and repairs are covered by workers.

"We often have to pay for fuel ourselves as the company does not provide us with a sufficient amount of fuel. The salaries are too low and because of that my child is not attending his kindergarten anymore, as I do not have enough cash to pay for it," he said.