Discontented transit workers in Shymkent call for higher pay and enhanced job conditions, launching a strike to make their voices heard
In the heart of Shymkent, a city in Kazakhstan, a labor dispute at a private transportation company has been making headlines. Over a hundred employees have been striking, demanding increased wages and improved working conditions.
The issues at hand have been reported by Almaty.tv, and the city's mayor, Murat Aitenov, has shown his support in resolving the matter.
At the centre of the dispute is an electronic payment system. Despite the system being in place, passengers are still paying in cash, a point of contention for the striking employees.
The company, in response to the strike, has increased each bus driver's hourly wage. Initially, drivers earned 730 tenge per hour. This wage was increased to 860 tenge in November last year and further to 1100 tenge in February.
However, these measures seem to have fallen short of meeting the employees' demands. The company also requires drivers to submit daily quotas, according to earlier reports, a practice that has added to the workers' grievances.
Recognising the escalation of the matter into a labor dispute, the company's head has expressed an apology. Murat Aitenov, the city's mayor, has assured that he is ready to intervene and resolve all issues related to the dispute.
If the issues aren't resolved, Murat Aitenov has invited the employees to come to the akimat (city administration) for a meeting with him. As of early August 2025, no recent information on the resolution of wage or working conditions disputes related to the Shymkent bus company strike appears available.
This labor dispute is a significant development in Shymkent's public transport sector, and it will be interesting to see how it unfolds in the coming weeks. If you're interested in tracking updates on this issue or learning more about labor conditions in Kazakhstan's public transport sector, I'd be happy to help.
- The labor dispute in Shymkent's bus company, centering around wages, working conditions, and the electronic payment system in the public-transit industry, has escalated, requiring the intervention of the city's mayor, Murat Aitenov.
- The ongoing financial implications of this dispute, with the company's increased hourly wages for drivers and the workers' demand for further improvements, pose challenges for the city's finance sector and could potentially impact the overall transportation industry in Shymkent.
