Kazakhstan Ratifies ILO Convention on Minimum Wages

The Majilis has adopted a bill ratifying the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention on the Establishment of Minimum Wages, Orda.kz reports.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection Svetlana Zhakupova explained that Kazakhstan will now be required to comply with international standards and regularly report to the ILO.

The convention sets out three core principles:

• Introduction of a minimum wage system
  
• Consideration of both economic factors and workers’ needs
  
• Prohibition of wage discrimination

According to Zhakupova, the ministry began applying these principles last year.

In 2024, a new methodology for determining the minimum wage was approved. It was developed taking into account the recommendations of the ILO. The size of the minimum wage is determined based on the median wage and labor productivity. This ensures a balance between social justice and the economic feasibility of the established level of the minimum wage,she said.

She added that ratification is the logical conclusion of this work. For reference, Kazakhstan’s current minimum wage is 85,000 tenge.

Original Author: Zhadra Zhulmukhametova