Kazakh Labor Ministry Expands Inspector Powers and Digital Tools for Worker Safety

The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan is restructuring its system for monitoring compliance with labor rights. At a meeting chaired by Minister Askarbek Yertayev, the results of the State Labor Inspectorate Committee's work for the first quarter were summarized, and new mechanisms for protecting workers were outlined.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, state inspectors have already protected the rights of 17.5 thousand workers, recovering 452 million tenge in wage arrears from unscrupulous employers.

To prevent industrial injuries, the ministry is launching new protective mechanisms. Primarily, tools for public oversight are being expanded. Amendments to the Law have been submitted to Parliament, which will grant technical inspectors the legal right to independently request information, conduct workplace inspections, and participate in investigations on par with state authorities.

Simultaneously, the Ministry is implementing unified rules for production councils at enterprises. These councils will be formed strictly on a parity basis (from employers, employees, and trade unions) to identify risks before accidents occur. Furthermore, to completely eliminate cases of concealing injuries, the ministry is developing a data exchange algorithm with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This will ensure every case file related to an accident remains under transparent control until a procedural decision is made.

Strengthening digital tools for protecting citizens' rights will also be a crucial step. Minister A. Yertayev tasked officials with fully integrating the "Labor Risk Map" with databases from other government agencies so that the system can track problematic enterprises in real time.

"The Labor Risk Map should not be a formal list. It must show in real time which enterprises are delaying wages so we can respond promptly and protect people's rights. Digital employment and control tools must work proactively," stated the head of the department.

A similar modernization awaits the Digital Employment Service (Enbek.kz). At the meeting, the minister outlined that the service should transition from simply matching vacancies to providing proactive individual support for job seekers.